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UG Student Handbook 2015-16Mechanical Engineering Department
| Contents | ii
Contents
Chapter 1: Welcome Information for New Students................................ 1Welcome from the Head of Department.............................................................................................2MechSoc.............................................................................................................................................. 2Key contacts........................................................................................................................................ 3The Year Organiser.............................................................................................................................6
The 1st Year Organiser............................................................................................................6Welcome Week................................................................................................................................... 6
ID cards.................................................................................................................................... 6Safety...................................................................................................................................................7
Personal protection equipment.................................................................................................7Security................................................................................................................................................ 8
Lockers......................................................................................................................................8Health services.................................................................................................................................... 8Imperial Horizons.................................................................................................................................9Meeting your Personal Tutor.............................................................................................................10Communications................................................................................................................................ 10Blackboard VLE.................................................................................................................................10Computers......................................................................................................................................... 11Internet access.................................................................................................................................. 11Library................................................................................................................................................ 12Bicycle and car parking.....................................................................................................................12The Student Hub............................................................................................................................... 12Disability.............................................................................................................................................13Student councelling........................................................................................................................... 14Careers Service.................................................................................................................................14Support for the academic transition.................................................................................................. 15
The Imperial Success Guide: Attain Academic Excellence at Imperial.................................. 15English classes for overseas students...................................................................................15Applied Mathematics.............................................................................................................. 15Technical communication skills.............................................................................................. 16
Attendance.........................................................................................................................................16Part-time work during term.....................................................................................................16
Plagiarism.......................................................................................................................................... 17Imperial College Union......................................................................................................................17Joining the IMechE............................................................................................................................18Vacation work.................................................................................................................................... 18South Kensington campus map........................................................................................................ 18
Chapter 2: Support and welfare...............................................................20About the Department....................................................................................................................... 21
About the Department............................................................................................................ 21Key contacts........................................................................................................................... 21The Undergraduate Office......................................................................................................24The Senior Tutor.................................................................................................................... 24Personal Tutors...................................................................................................................... 25The Year Organisers.............................................................................................................. 25Student Exchange Coordinator.............................................................................................. 27
The Student Hub............................................................................................................................... 27
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Coping with stress.............................................................................................................................28Health services.................................................................................................................................. 28Disability.............................................................................................................................................29The Disability Advisory Service.........................................................................................................30Student councelling........................................................................................................................... 30English classes for overseas students..............................................................................................31Interruption of studies........................................................................................................................31
Chapter 3: Learning resources and campus facilities........................... 32South Kensington campus map........................................................................................................ 33Learning resources............................................................................................................................33
Blackboard VLE...................................................................................................................... 33Library..................................................................................................................................... 34The Departmental Librarian....................................................................................................34Communications..................................................................................................................... 34Internet access....................................................................................................................... 35Computers...............................................................................................................................35Microsoft Office 365............................................................................................................... 36Copying and printing.............................................................................................................. 36Personal protection equipment...............................................................................................36Lockers....................................................................................................................................37Breakout student space (BOSS)............................................................................................ 37Quiet study space...................................................................................................................37ICT support............................................................................................................................. 37
Campus facilities............................................................................................................................... 38Refectories.............................................................................................................................. 38Banking and ATMs................................................................................................................. 38Bicycle and car parking..........................................................................................................38Ethos Sports Centre............................................................................................................... 38
Workshops......................................................................................................................................... 38Student Teaching Workshop (STW).......................................................................................39The IDEAs Lab....................................................................................................................... 40Pit Garage...............................................................................................................................41Stores......................................................................................................................................42Mechatronics Teaching Lab and Projects Room................................................................... 42Materials Testing Lab............................................................................................................. 44Project work in research labs.................................................................................................45
Chapter 4: Study........................................................................................46Teaching and learning methods........................................................................................................47
Lectures.................................................................................................................................. 47Tutorials.................................................................................................................................. 47Lab exercises..........................................................................................................................47
Late or absent teaching staff............................................................................................................ 48Humanities and languages evening classes.....................................................................................48Student representation...................................................................................................................... 48The Staff Student Committee............................................................................................................48
Staff Student Committee members........................................................................................ 48Student surveys.................................................................................................................................49Studying abroad................................................................................................................................ 50Professional Skills............................................................................................................................. 51Coping with stress.............................................................................................................................51
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Chapter 5: Assessment and feedback.................................................... 52Coursework........................................................................................................................................53
Length of coursework submissions........................................................................................ 53Plagiarism.......................................................................................................................................... 54Feedback to students........................................................................................................................55Grades and numerical marks for exams and coursework................................................................ 55Moderation......................................................................................................................................... 55The Dean’s list.................................................................................................................................. 56Student prizes and awards............................................................................................................... 56
ME1 student prizes and awards.............................................................................................56ME2 student prizes and awards.............................................................................................57ME3 student prizes and awards.............................................................................................57ME4 student prizes and awards.............................................................................................58
Chapter 6: Examinations and progression............................................. 59Progression........................................................................................................................................60Revision for exams............................................................................................................................60
Revising for combined subjects in ME1-2..............................................................................60Coping with stress.............................................................................................................................61Examinations..................................................................................................................................... 61
Open-book exams.................................................................................................................. 62Mitigating circumstances for assessment......................................................................................... 62Examination feedback....................................................................................................................... 63Grades and numerical marks for exams and coursework................................................................ 63Getting your results........................................................................................................................... 64Supplementary qualifying tests (SQTs).............................................................................................64Re-sitting the year............................................................................................................................. 65The Dean’s list.................................................................................................................................. 65
Chapter 7: ME1 course information........................................................ 66The 1st Year Organiser.....................................................................................................................67Structure of the ME1-2 programme.................................................................................................. 67Key dates and attendance in ME1................................................................................................... 68Managing your time and workload....................................................................................................69Progress tests....................................................................................................................................69Clinic tutorials.................................................................................................................................... 70Books................................................................................................................................................. 70Foreign language classes................................................................................................................. 70Imperial Horizons...............................................................................................................................71ME1 coursework marks distribution.................................................................................................. 71Mapping of ME1 modules onto ECTS elements...............................................................................72ME1 student prizes and awards....................................................................................................... 73The Dean’s list.................................................................................................................................. 73
Chapter 8: ME2 course information........................................................ 75The 2nd Year Organiser................................................................................................................... 76Structure of the ME1-2 programme.................................................................................................. 76Key dates and attendance in ME2................................................................................................... 77Managing your time and workload....................................................................................................77Progress tests....................................................................................................................................78Clinic tutorials.................................................................................................................................... 79
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Books................................................................................................................................................. 79Foreign language classes................................................................................................................. 79The year in industry.......................................................................................................................... 80Imperial Horizons...............................................................................................................................80ME2 coursework marks distribution.................................................................................................. 81Mapping of ME2 modules onto ECTS elements...............................................................................82ME2 student prizes and awards....................................................................................................... 82The Dean’s list.................................................................................................................................. 83
Chapter 9: ME3 course information........................................................ 84The 3rd Year Organiser.................................................................................................................... 85Structure of the ME3 programme..................................................................................................... 85Key dates and attendance in ME3................................................................................................... 85Choosing ME3 electives....................................................................................................................86
Types of ME3-4 electives.......................................................................................................86Rules for selecting ME3 electives.......................................................................................... 87Rules for selecting ME4 electives.......................................................................................... 87Electives available to ME3 this session................................................................................. 88Registering for ME3 electives................................................................................................ 89
ME3 Design, make and test project................................................................................................. 91Intellectual property........................................................................................................................... 91Undergraduate Teaching Assistants................................................................................................. 91
Claiming payment for undergraduate teaching work..............................................................92Mechanical Engineering with Nuclear Engineering...........................................................................92Transfer from MEng to BEng............................................................................................................93Transfer from BEng to MEng............................................................................................................94Graduation......................................................................................................................................... 94
The Examiners’ Meeting.........................................................................................................94The graduation ceremony.......................................................................................................95
ME3 student prizes and awards....................................................................................................... 95The Dean’s list.................................................................................................................................. 96
Chapter 10: ME4 course information...................................................... 97The 4th Year Organiser.................................................................................................................... 98Structure of the ME4 programme..................................................................................................... 98Key dates and attendance in ME4................................................................................................... 98Choosing ME4 electives....................................................................................................................99
Registering for ME4 electives................................................................................................ 99Rules for selecting ME4 electives........................................................................................ 100
Electives available to ME4 this session..........................................................................................100M-level Advanced Applications electives............................................................................. 100M-level Technical electives...................................................................................................101M-level IDX electives............................................................................................................101
The ME4 individual project..............................................................................................................102Individual Project Presentation............................................................................................. 102
Intellectual property......................................................................................................................... 102Finding employment........................................................................................................................ 103
Technical interviews............................................................................................................. 103Assessment centres............................................................................................................. 104
Further study................................................................................................................................... 106Graduation....................................................................................................................................... 106
The Examiners’ Meeting.......................................................................................................106The graduation ceremony.....................................................................................................107
ME4 student prizes and awards..................................................................................................... 107
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The Dean’s list................................................................................................................................ 108
Chapter 11: The year abroad................................................................. 109Student Exchange Coordinator....................................................................................................... 110Exchange partners.......................................................................................................................... 110Academic and other pre-requisites................................................................................................. 111The Year Abroad application process.............................................................................................111
Applying for an exchange outside Europe........................................................................... 112Applying for an exchange within Europe..............................................................................112
The study plan.................................................................................................................................113Completing a Year Abroad..............................................................................................................113
Chapter 12: Schemes for the award of Honours..................................114Progression and graduation............................................................................................................ 115MEng in Mechanical Engineering, 2015-16.................................................................................... 115
Part I..................................................................................................................................... 115Part II.................................................................................................................................... 116Part III................................................................................................................................... 116Part IV...................................................................................................................................117
MEng in Mechanical Engineering with Nuclear Engineering, 2015-16........................................... 117Part I..................................................................................................................................... 117Part II.................................................................................................................................... 118Part III................................................................................................................................... 118Part IV...................................................................................................................................119
BEng in Mechanical Engineering, 2015-16.....................................................................................119Part I..................................................................................................................................... 119Part II.................................................................................................................................... 120Part III................................................................................................................................... 120
Chapter 13: Professional development................................................. 122What is a Chartered Engineer?...................................................................................................... 123Industrial placements.......................................................................................................................123What is a Monitored Professional Development Scheme?.............................................................124
MPDS Training Objectives................................................................................................... 124Registering for MPDS...........................................................................................................126Recording Monitored Professional Development................................................................. 126
Professional Skills........................................................................................................................... 127Credit transfer using ECTS............................................................................................................. 127
The integrated masters ‘credit gap’......................................................................................128What is the Extracurricular Professional Development (XPD) scheme?.............................. 128Registering for the XPD scheme..........................................................................................128Activities eligible for ECTS credit......................................................................................... 129Completing an XPD Activity Plan.........................................................................................130UROPs: completing Registry Form B...................................................................................130Reporting your XPD activities.............................................................................................. 131
Finding employment........................................................................................................................ 131Technical interviews............................................................................................................. 131Assessment centres............................................................................................................. 133
Further study................................................................................................................................... 134UROP placements...........................................................................................................................135
Chapter 14: Undergraduate degree programme overview.................. 136
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The programme year by year......................................................................................................... 137Programme modules mapped by year and TSG............................................................................ 138Studying abroad.............................................................................................................................. 138
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Preface
Introduction
The Student Handbook brings together all the information you might need during the few years you spendhere. There is a Student Handbook for each year of the degree course, with more relevant information toyour immediate study. Make sure you have the correct version!
When the first day of term ends you will already have a stack of important information — including atimetable and a tutor group list. You’ll have taken in a lot of information — and forgotten most of it. As timegoes on, please use the online version of this handbook to answer all your questions. There’s a comments/feedback section on every screen to ask (anonymously!) the ones we missed. Updates are frequent.
A new and exciting phase of your life is beginning. The Students’ Union, social media and your fellowstudents are all around you, but never be afraid to seek help from us, the staff. Whatever our official role,that’s what we’re all here for.
CAGB is changing!Imperial has embarked on a rolling, two-year programme to completely renovate our City and GuildsBuilding. Some teaching spaces and many teaching staff offices have already moved to their newlocations.
As the 2015-16 academic year commences, the rennovation of CAGB has reached a point where most ofthe building is open, and many of the staff have moved to their new offices. However, the next stage of therennovation will see access to the central section of the building somewhat restricted.
You will be kept informated of any changes to access to the various floors of the building as the next phaseof the rennovation approaches.
Changes to lecture or tutorial venues will be announced well in advance. The interactive Teaching Spacesweb page provides directions to all of the teaching spaces used by the Mechanical Engineering courses.
Link to the Shared Teaching Spaces web page
Chapter
1Welcome Information for New Students
Topics:
• Welcome from the Head ofDepartment
• MechSoc• Key contacts• The Year Organiser• Welcome Week• Safety• Security• Health services• Imperial Horizons• Meeting your Personal Tutor• Communications• Blackboard VLE• Computers• Internet access• Library• Bicycle and car parking• The Student Hub• Disability• Student councelling• Careers Service• Support for the academic
transition• Attendance• Plagiarism• Imperial College Union• Joining the IMechE• Vacation work• South Kensington campus
map
Welcome to Imperial College, London.
This chapter of the Student Handbook is a copy of the informationpresented to you in the Welcome Booklet, to help you settle in duringWelcome Week and the early weeks of term. Later chapters provideinformation about all aspects of life at Imperial, including a detailedchapter on the first year of the degree programme.
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Welcome from the Head of Department
Firstly, I would like to congratulate you on your success in your recent exams and in gaining a place tostudy here. I would like to welcome you to our Department of Mechanical Engineering, which, as I am sureyou are aware, is one of the world's leading centres in its field. We pride ourselves in our distinguishedtradition of excellence in teaching, research and practice. Our course is undoubtedly challenging andto succeed you will need to continue to work hard and to take full advantage of the many opportunitiesavailable to you. In the first two years you will develop your core engineering skills, through lectures,tutorials, practical and design activities. In your third and fourth years you will be able to decide in whichareas you wish to specialise and become more closely involved in the research side of the Department.There will be many opportunities to develop your academic, professional and personal skills and you willbe supported in this by our academics and support staff. I hope that you will take a proactive part in yourstudies and the wider College and Engineering Community so that your time here will be truly successfuland rewarding.
Professor Peter Cawley FREng, FRS
Head of Department
MechSoc
Hello and welcome to Mech Eng!
The Mechanical Engineering Society (MechSoc) is your student society, run by students, and we workhard to make your life at Imperial less stressful and more fun. We work alongside the department and oursponsors to bring you, not only great opportunities in industry, but also many fun events throughout theyear.
Almost weekly, we arrange for industry-‐leading companies to give presentations to you about their workand the chances they offer for you to get experience with them. On top of this, we also organise manysubsidised events throughout the year, including paintballing, ice-‐skating and, new this year, the Freshers’Welcome Dinner, which is a black tie dinner in Central London and a great way for you to get to know thepeople on the course.
We also work closely with the department to voice any comments or concerns you might have throughoutyour time here, and you should feel free to contact us with anything you feel is important.
Our website is simply www.mechsoc.com. You’ll find all our contact details along with more importantinformation there.
-‐ Oscar and the MechSoc Team!
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Oscar
MechSoc Chair
Anisha
Welfare Officer
Saksham
Treasurer
Bella
Events Officer
Key contactsAlmost all of the 50 or so academic staff and many other members of the department are engaged inteaching, but as an undergraduate student there are a few you will see and hear much more of.
Head of Department
Prof Peter Cawley
Room 460C
Email [email protected]
The Head of Department is responsible to the Universityfor all of the Department’s activities, both teaching andresearch.
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Senior Tutor
Dr Fred Marquis
Room 552
Email [email protected]
The Senior Tutor is responsible for the welfare andacademic progress of every undergraduate student in thedepartment.
Should you wish to discuss an issue with an alternativemember of the faculty, Dr Julie Varley is also available(Room 549, Email: [email protected], Tel 47089)
Academic Tutor
Dr Juliet Varley
Room 549
Email [email protected]
The Academic Tutor (a new post in this department) isconcerned with all aspects of the ‘student experience’, butespecially those involving the challenging transition fromschool to university.
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Dr Mike Bluck
Room 747
Email [email protected]
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Senior UG Administrator
Josie Ann Howard
UG Office, Room 553
Email [email protected]
The Senior UG Administrator is responsible for managingthe interaction of students and teaching programmes —dealing, in particular, with timetabling and registrationissues.
UG Administrator
Tom Curtin
UG Office, Room 553
Email [email protected]
Departmental Disability Officer (DDO)
Dr Fred Marquis
Room 552
Email [email protected]
The Departmental Disability Office is able to help studentsarrange for any special requirements that they may needthroughtout their study at Imperial (see Disability on page13).
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The Year OrganiserThe Year Organiser is responsible for overall administration of your current year of the undergraduatecourse. This includes the coordination of different modules of the academic programme, and liaison (viathe Year Representatives) between students and the staff teaching them.
The 1st Year Organiser
Dr Maria Charalambides
Room 516
Email [email protected]
Welcome WeekDuring your first week (Welcome Week), and those which follow, your first port of call will be our NewStudents website. The first week of your first term at Imperial will be a busy one, for which you will be givena separate timetable. Some of the events and requirements need planning: please read this section now.
ID cardsThe College-wide security system of ID swipe cards controls and monitors access to halls of residence,and to the departmental building and certain rooms outside normal hours. Your ID card will be yourpassport for the duration of your course: get it as soon as you can, and treat it with respect.
Once you have registered, the way you obtain your ID card will depend on when you arrive, and where youwill be living.
If you arrive after Week 1, you will need to take your Registration Confirmation page to Security (located onLevel 1 of the Sherfield Building next to the HSBC cash machine) — where they will take your photo andissue the ID card. Otherwise:
If you will be living in College accommodation and…
• ... you uploaded a photo when you registered, you will be issued with your ID card by the Hall Wardenat the hall Safety Briefing.
Or...
• ... you did not upload a photo, your Warden now issue you with a guest card, valid for a limited timeonly. To obtain a fully validated ID card you will need to take your Registration Confirmation page toSecurity (see above) to get your picture taken. If you can do this during week 1, the ID card will be sentto the UG Office from where you can collect it.
If you will be living in private accommodation and…
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• ... you uploaded a photo when you registered and you arrive during Week 1, you should collect yourcard from the UG Office.
Or...
• ... you did not upload a photo and are arriving in week 1, you must take your Registration Confirmationpage to Security (see above) to get your picture taken. The ID card will then be sent to theUndergraduate or Postgraduate Office from where you can collect it.
Warning: Lending your swipe card to friends or acquaintances, for however short a time, is aserious offence which can result in your being asked to leave the College permanently. Never, everlend your card knowingly to a third party.
Related LinksStudent registration websiteKey contacts on page 3
SafetyMechanical engineers make things, break things and deal with potentially dangerous quantities: power,energy, force, pressure, mass and velocity. To be a professional engineer your consciousness of risk, andconcern for your own and others’ safety, must be instinctive. We will emphasise this from day one.
Very soon after registration, every student must attend the Departmental Safety Briefing. This will coverall of the absolute essentials including first aid, fire drills and security.
Important: The College is required, under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), to formallyacquaint all its members with their legal responsibilities for the maintenance of their own safety andthat of others.
Warning: Failure to attend the Safety Briefing will forfeit the protection offered by the Act andrender you vulnerable to personal prosecution in the courts. In any event, you will certainly not beallowed to work in the departmental laboratories or workshops.
Once you accept a place at Imperial College you agree to abide by the Heath & Safety policy.
Related LinksDepartmental Safety websiteCollege Safety Policy statement (pdf)
Personal protection equipmentThe department has exceptionally good lab and workshop facilities. To use them, you must be wearingsuitable protective clothing — most of which will be issued to you.
Important:
It is a Departmental health and safety requirement that before using any of the workshopmachinery, you are wearing appropriate clothing.
Before you attend the Student Workshop for the first time, you will be asked to provide height and weightdetails. Shortly afterwards, you will provided with your own personal boiler suit and safety glasses.
You will also be provided with a white lab-coat, which you must wear when entering any of the laboratoriesin the building except the Mechatronics lab.
On every subsequent occasion that you enter the Student Workshop, you must wear this protectiveequipment. You must also wear shoes sturdy enough, and with thick enough soles, to protect your feetfrom any heavy object that may fall on them or any sharp object you may tread on. Anybody wearing open-toed shoes or sandals will be refused access.
Tip: It is your responsibility to know when you should be attending laboratory or workshop sessionsand to have adequate personal protection equipment available. Keep it all on-site, in your locker!
| Welcome Information for New Students | 8
SecurityImperial is a relatively public space, the City and Guilds Building is situated near its front entrance and,sadly, thefts do occur from time to time. It is essential to look after your own property and to remain vigilant.
Take great care of both your personal property and that of the College.
• Do not keep valuables even in your locker, even if it is locked.• Do not leave wallets in jackets in empty rooms• Take care of handbags
Important: If you lose anything, report it promptly to the Security Officer in Sherfield Building (ref.20 on Campus Map, internal tel. 4444). It is especially important to report a lost or stolen ID card.If you find an ID card or any apparently lost property in the Mechanical Engineering Department,please hand it in to the Undergraduate Office or Postgraduate Office on Level 5 of the City & GuildsBuilding.
Related LinksInformation on ID cardsSouth Kensington campus map on page 18The Undergraduate Office on page 24
LockersDuring Welcome Week you will be allocated a numbered locker in the City and Guilds Building. We plan forthis to remain your locker for the duration of your course. Use it for secure storage of any items which youmight not need immediately, such as protective clothing for the workshop.
The lockers require a standard, small sized padlock (25 mm centreline on 6 mm diameter hasp) which youcan bring with you or purchase locally.
Health servicesA list of health and welfare services is available in the College throughout the Department and College.You will probably need to make little or no use of these services, but you should register as an NHS patientwith the Health Centre within the first few weeks of term.
Health Centre
• 40 Prince’s Gardens Southside, Watts Way, London SW7 1LY• 24-hour telephone service: +44 (0)20 7584 6301• Emergencies (Security) 4444 (internal) Internal extension 49375/6• Opening times: term time 08.00–18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 08.00–13.00
Tuesday; vacations 08.00–17.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 08.00–13.00 Tuesday.Closed at weekends and on public holidays.
On weekdays during the Christmas and Easter closures, the Health Centre runs an emergency cliniconly, 08.00–10.00. Reception is open 08.00–13.00.
Out of hours services
If you are registered with the Health Centre as a National Health Service (NHS) patient, and needmedical advice outside normal opening hours please telephone the surgery as usual. Follow the recordedinstructions which explain how to contact the out-of-hours service.
The Health Centre provides a 24-hour emergency service for NHS registered patients only. If you are noteligible to register there, you may use its on-site services during normal working hours only. Make sure you
| Welcome Information for New Students | 9
are registered with an NHS General Practitioner (GP) near where you live during term, in case you needthe doctor to visit you there or need medical advice out-of-hours.
Nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments
• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital 369 Fulham Road London SW10 9NH• St Mary’s Hospital, Praed Street, London W2 1NY
Important: Accident and Emergency (‘A&E’) departments should only be used for accidents andemergencies. If your problem is not a true emergency, or you are unsure of what to do, pleasecontact the Health Centre out-of-hours service.
Related LinksCollege site for student health and wellbeingImperial College Health CentreEmail Health Centre
Imperial HorizonsThe Imperial Horizons programme offers UG1-2 students the opportunity to develop knowledge andskills beyond their core degree subject. There are courses on subjects including languages at variouslevels, humanities, business and global issues. The aims are to broaden undergraduate education, inspirecreativity and enhance professional impact.
In 2015-16, Imperial Horizons will be offered to all first and second years in autumn and spring Terms.
Key selling points are:
• Students develop a unique career edge. The courses are a selling point for employers, developingvaluable skills in communication, team-working and problem-solving, and promoting enhanced businessand organisational awareness.
• Improved student experience. The courses are designed to have maximum positive impact on studentexperience.
• Free and taught during scheduled teaching slots. All Departments have organised timetables to avoidthe scheduled Horizons slots (16.00-18.00 on Tuesday for UG1 and Monday for UG2). There are noadditional charges.
Courses run for one or two terms. Students who enrol on a one-term course are encouraged to use theother term for a second course.
Table 1: Dates for incoming 1st years in October 2015.
Event Date Time
Imperial Horizons enrolment opens Monday, 7 September, 2015 —
Imperial Horizons enrolment closes Monday, 12 October, 2015 17:00
Allocations confirmed Friday, 23 October, 2015 —
Register your course preferences on the Imperial Horizons website during Welcome Week, beforeenrollment closes.
Informal information sessions where you can meet some of the teaching and administrative team to findout more about the programme or a particular course will take place Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdayduring Welcome Week from 12-2pm, in the Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication (access viaLevel 3 Sherfield Building)
To find our more, visit the website: www.imperial.ac.uk/horizons.
| Welcome Information for New Students | 10
Related LinksFind out more about Imperial HorizonsHorizon course options available for ME1
Meeting your Personal TutorAs one of a group of about four, you will be allocated to a member of staff who will act as your PersonalTutor. You will meet him/her regularly during the session — in groups and/or individually — to discuss bothacademic progress and personal topics.
You will find the name and room number of your Personal Tutor in the information pack you receive duringWelcome Week. Lists will also be posted on the ME1 notice board, situated next to the lifts on Level 2 ofthe City and Guilds Building. A first group meeting with your Personal Tutor has already been scheduledbut if unavailable at that time, s/he will contact you to arrange an alternative appointment
CommunicationsOur primary channel for maintaining contact with you is e-mail. Letter post is still used for information fromoutside, and delivered to the concourse letter rack. You must check this regularly.
The email address issued to you on registration will remain active until one year after you leave Imperial.You can use this address freely to communicate with other students, staff and people outside the College.We try to email you no more than necessary, but messages will still be necessary — and some of thesewill be very important and, possibly, urgent.
Caution: You must check your e-mail regularly for incoming messages. If you fail to read andclear your inbox regularly you may be unable to receive further mail: any resulting failure to readimportant communications will not be accepted as grounds for mitigation.
If necessary, ICT can redirect your mail to a colleague or to a non-Imperial email address.
There are letter racks, for both internal and external mail to students, on the Level 2 concourse near thedrinks machines.
On the Level 2 concourse there are year group and general notice boards as well as displays of staff andstudent photos.
Related LinksTeaching staff listed by surnameRe-directing Imperial email to a non-Imperial address
Blackboard VLEFor any question connected in any way with your course, try Blackboard first. We use this web basedVirtual Learning Environment (VLE) for most teaching materials and activities, and it is updated constantly.Information from other departments and from College administration is better found using the web.
As a registered student, you should already be registered on Blackboard (http://bb.imperial.ac.uk). Log inusing your College username and password.
Note: Blackboard is linked to the College login system: if you change your College password, yourBlackboard password will change.
Each student cohort has a General Information Organisation (under My Organisations) which isdynamically updated, and should be your first point of reference. Each year will be registered onto therelevant Blackboard course pages.
Related Links
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Login to BlackboardDepartmental Study website
ComputersThe Department’s main undergraduate computing facility is equipped with medium specification PCsrunning Windows 7. All run the same suite of software, and their use is often reserved for timetabledclasses. Outside those periods they are normally available for individual use, but it is important to minimisesocial networking time.
As an undergraduate you have right of access to more than 240 computers in rooms 203, 761, and 762 ofCAGB, and rooms 208, and 317 in the Skempton Building (map 27).
All shared computers are loaded with a standard suite of software including Microsoft Office, drawing andCAD applications, stress analysis and fluid dynamics applications and other, more specialised engineeringsoftware. You will use these facilities for timetabled programming classes in ME1 and ME2, and forspecialised electives in later years. At other times they are available for report writing and preparingpresentations etc.
Printing facilities are available in all computer rooms and are accessed using your College ID card. You willbe given £15.00 of printer credit at the beginning of each year, after which you can purchase printer creditsto charge your card at the Central Library or online. Printing costs 3p per black and white A4 page and 6pper colour A4 page.
If you are thinking of buying a computer, special educational discounts are available, once you haveregistered, from the College Purchasing website. Consumables can be purchased at the Union Shop onthe Sherfield Walkway, and software at the online ICT Software Shop.
Related LinksICT resources for new usersASK ICT - the ICT service deskUnion shop websitePurchasing websiteICT Software ShopLogin to online print service (on site or via VPN only)
Internet accessImperial College London provides and supports excellent access to the internet, both on-site and in halls.However, this access is not unrestricted and its misuse, or its use for anti-social behaviour, are regardedas serious offences.
An account for access to IT facilities was created for you on registration, and you have been provided witha username and password for login and internet access via Outlook, Internet Explorer and Firefox. If youforget your password and need to obtain a new one, you will need to produce a valid college ID card.
Mobile access to many services is available through the Imperial College Mobile app.
Warning: In your contract as a student you have agreed to abide by the Conditions of Use of ITServices. These conditions concern anti-social behaviour by which other users can be affectedand areas of misuse which come under UK Law. The College network extends to student halls andhere, again, it is important to be aware of the restrictions imposed both by College regulations andby national law.
Remember: Even outside timetabled class periods, private study and report deadlines can putheavy pressure on computer resources. Please keep your social networking and recreationalsurfing time to a considerate minimum on College owned computers.
| Welcome Information for New Students | 12
Related LinksConditions of use of IT facilitiesInternet and phone in student hallsInformation on Imperial College Mobile app
LibraryThe College’s Central Library is next to the Sherfield Building. It provides access to high quality resourcesincluding electronic journals, databases, textbooks, print journals and maps. PCs and wireless access tothe College computing network are also available.
Much more information is available on the library’s website, and you will be given an induction courseduring the first week of term.
The Liaison Librarian, who is shared with the Departments of Bioengineering and Materials, can provide orarrange
• Training for students and staff on how to use the library and its services• Support on how to use the library’s resources• Advice on how to cite, reference or use RefWorks
etc. etc..
The Liaison Librarian is available in the Central Library, Room 110, on Tuesdays 12:30–14:00 or at anothertime by arrangement.
Post HolderEmail(@imperial.ac.uk)
Phone Room
Liaison Librarian (Engineering) Nicole Urquhart n.urquhart 41889 Library
Related LinksCentral Library website
Bicycle and car parkingCycling in London is not easy, but there are many secure bike parking spaces on campus. Driving a car iseven more difficult and parking spaces are virtually non-existent.
There are five designated bike parking areas of which the closest, with 600 spaces, is under the FacultyBuilding (the ‘blue box’, number 22 on the Campus map) behind the City & Guilds building. Car parkingspace on the College site is very limited, and availability varies as spaces are used for building andmaintenance work. If any spaces are available for students then they will be administered by the StudentUnion.
Important: Public transport links to and from the campus are excellent: we strongly advise that youdo not bring a car to the College.
Related LinksMap of bike parking facilities in the area (pdf)Transport for London site
The Student HubThe Student Hub, situated in Sherfield Building, provides a ‘one-stop shop’ for all key information andsupport you might need for life at Imperial.
| Welcome Information for New Students | 13
Amongst the services and topics on which knowledgeable staff can offer advice, support andcomprehensive information are:
• Accommodation• Financial support• Tuition fees• Student records• Exams• International student issues
The Student Hub can be found on Level 3, Sherfield Building and is open Mondays to Fridays 09.30–17.00(10.00–17.00 on Wednesdays).
Related LinksStudent Hub
DisabilityStudying at university can be a special challenge if you have a disability. It is very important that you let usknow about any disability, specific learning difficulty or health problem as soon as possible. We can thenarrange the expert advice and support you need to fulfil your potential and to graduate with the degree youmerit.
Some students who have experienced any of the issues listed below never think of themselves as having adisability, but find that additional support makes all the difference to their study experience.
• Specific learning difficulties (such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, AD[H]D)• Autistic spectrum disorder (such as Asperger’s)• Deafness or hearing difficulties• Long term mental health difficulties (such as chronic anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression)• Medical conditions (such as epilepsy, arthritis, diabetes, Crohn’s disease)• Physical disabilities or mobility impairments• Vision difficulties.
The Departmental Disability Officer (DDO) should be your first point of contact. The DDO will be able tohelp you with arranging whatever support is necessary within the department. The DDO is also the personwho will apply for Special Examination Arrangements on your behalf. You should contact them withoutdelay if you think that you may need extra time or other adjustments for your examinations
Departmental Disability Officer
Dr Fred Marquis
Room 552
Email [email protected]
Related LinksEmail Disability Liaison OfficerThe Disability Advisory Service on page 30
| Welcome Information for New Students | 14
Student councellingThe Student Counselling Service offers short-term counselling to all registered students of Imperial CollegeLondon. It is free and confidential.
The primary purpose of the Student Counselling Service is to enable students to become more effectivein their lives within and outside Imperial College. They offer a confidential space where you can talk aboutissues you feel troubled by. They will not usually pass on personal information about you to anybodyoutside the Service, unless you have given us permission to do so.
Location
The Service is located on Level 4, Sherfield Building. From the lifts on Level 4, walk diagonally to your rightto the corner of the lift foyer. Go through the double doors and left up the ramp, through another set ofdouble doors, and reception is the sixth door on your right: Room 449.
Opening times
Reception is usually open on weekdays in term time between 9.30 - 12.30 and 13.30 - 16.15. Times mayvary out of term time.
Appointments
Contact the Service's Co-ordinator, Maggie Backhouse by telephone on 020- 7594 9637 or by email([email protected]) to make an appointment.
Careers ServiceThe Careers Service provides a comprehensive careers guidance, information and vacancy servicefor all College students and alumni of Imperial College, from first to final year undergraduates andpostgraduates..
The Careers Service (www.imperial.ac.uk/admin-services/careers/) arranges various seminars andevents throughout the year.
Careers advice and guidance
• Expert one to one advice with one of the careers consultants, through 20 minute discussions and 40minute discussions.
• Book 20 minute discussions through JobsLive (Career Management System).
CV, application and interview seminars
• Run throughout the autumn and spring terms.• To help you improve your presentation with employers.
Careers information resources
• Useful careers information resources set out in a comfortable information room to allow you to researchyour career options.
A range of employer events throughout the year
• Employer presentations, skills workshops and careers talks to give you an opportunity to speak directlyto graduate recruiters.
Careers fairs
• provide a range of Careers Fairs each year including an annual Engineering Careers Fair, Science Fair,PhD Fair and Banking and Finance Fair, and various other sector focussed events
| Welcome Information for New Students | 15
Support for the academic transitionStudents who join Imperial are all academically able, but they come from a diversity of secondaryeducation cultures. Adjusting to the challenge of higher education can be tough, and we offer some specialresources to support you.
Related LinksThe Imperial Success Guide: everything you need to support the transition from school touniversity
The Imperial Success Guide: Attain Academic Excellence at Imperial
The College has launched a new on-line resource to support the academic transition into Imperial(www.imperial.ac.uk/students/success-guide). This guide includes information on effective study,assessments and feedback, wellbeing, workshops and support to ensure that you know where to look foradvice and guidance relating to study skills.
English classes for overseas studentsThe undergraduate course involves a substantial amount of reading and writing, as well as oralpresentation. Fluency in English is vital if you are to be successful in the course.
The Centre for Academic English (www3.imperial.ac.uk/academic-english) runs a series of Englishclasses in the evenings for students who need tuition and practice.
Caution: Failure to attend these classes could result in your not understanding the lectures andhence failing the end-of-year exams.
Related LinksEnglish language support offered by the Centre for Academic EnglishCentre for Academic English, information for undergraduates and exchange studentsEnglish language support offered by the Centre for Academic EnglishCentre for Academic English, information for undergraduates and exchange students
Applied MathematicsMany students with good maths A-levels run into difficulties with maths when they arrive at university.On our programme particular problems arise with topics in basic mechanics, which not all students havecovered. An additional course is provided to support those who need it.
The Applied Mathematics course runs in autumn term. Every student must pass it, by one of two routes:
1. There will be an assessment test (an exam containing a series of short questions) during the first week.If you do well you will be deemed to have passed immediately.
2. Those who do not do so well will need to complete the full course and pass an assessment at the endof the autumn term.
Warning: Students who do not pass the Applied Mathematics course will be deemed to have failedto follow the prescribed programme — and must therefore expect to withdraw from the College.
The topics covered are:
• Kinematics – velocity, displacement and acceleration. Constant acceleration equations.• Force and acceleration, Newton’s first and second laws, multiple forces, net force, equilibrium,
acceleration due to gravity, weight.• Resolving forces.• Newton’s Third Law.• Conservation of momentum and impulse.• Combining and splitting forces, resultant and component – representation of forces and forces in
equilibrium.
| Welcome Information for New Students | 16
• General motion in a straight line, use of calculus. Work, energy, both kinetic and potential Moments andequilibrium of rigid objects.
Tip: Further support for maths is offered by the online METRIC project(www.imperial.ac.uk/engineering/staff/learning-technology/metric), developed by Imperial’s MathematicsDepartment. METRIC concentrates mainly on “pure” maths topics, and can serve as a useful self-study aid in parallel with other subjects throughout your programme.
Please don’t get discouraged about mathematics. We understand that students have a wide range ofbackgrounds. You may well find that you are unfamiliar with the topics listed above or with some of theMETRIC material. Our aim is to help you to fill in the knowledge gaps during the first year, so that you willhave the mathematical skills you will need.
Related LinksModule search page on BlackboardMETRIC website
Technical communication skillsCommunicating information about science and technology is a specialised skill in which words, data andimages must be used with clarity, precision and economy. Most students will already be familiar with thenecessary software but not all students are equally skilled. We offer a short self-taught primer to get you upto speed.
One of your first modules in ME1 is Experimental Reporting Skills, in which you will learn to write a reportto professional standards.
You can save yourself a lot of time and struggle with what may be unfamiliar software by putting together a‘Technical Communication Toolbox’ — preferably before you arrive — using this self-taught course. As wellas giving you exercise in the skills you will need very often throughout the programme, this course will saveyou time by providing you with ready-made, personalisable templates.
Related LinksTechnical Communications Tookit self-teaching resource (pdf)
AttendanceThe College is legally obliged to ensure that its registered students are genuinely in attendance, and it hasa duty of care for them. It also requires students to follow the prescribed course. Various checks are madeto ensure that you are present, safe and engaged in study.
The large majority of students are legally adults; therefore, like all adults, they have social and legalobligations. Your attendance will not be checked at lectures. However, it will be checked on any occasionat which your absence would result in the loss of coursework marks either by yourself or, potentially, bycolleagues in a group activity. In ME1 and ME2 attendance will also be checked at tutorials.
Important: College regulations require undergraduates to inform the Senior Tutor if they are tobe absent for more than three consecutive days during term time. If the absence is due to illnessa medical certificate must be produced within seven days of your return to College. Any absenceshould be communicated to your personal tutor.
Related LinksMitigating circumstances for assessment on page 62
Part-time work during termTo cope with the financial pressures of full-time study, many students take occasional or part-time jobs.This is permitted and even recognised as a useful part of general education, but it is essential to maintainthe balance with academic work.
| Welcome Information for New Students | 17
The status of your degree is based on the demands it makes on you: our full-time degree programmes area full-time job. However, we know that some students, for various reasons, will seek part-time work — andthat the benefits may be social as well as financial.
The College permits full-time students to take up part-time work during term-time, but it recommends thatyou do not do so. If you must, you are advised to work no more than 10-15 hours per week, mainly atweekends and never within the normal working hours of the College. Ultimately the decision is yours, butyou should discuss it with your personal tutor.
Warning: Under no circumstances can a commitment to part-time work ever be claimed as a‘mitigating circumstance’ for coursework or examination assessment.
Sponsored students should note that some sponsors may not permit students to take up work outsidetheir studies and others may specify a limit.
International students should be advised that most visas allow students to work no more than 20 hours aweek.
Related LinksCollege policy on student employment during studies (pdf)International Office information concerning visa restrictions on employment
PlagiarismPlagiarism is the presentation of another person’s thoughts, words or images and diagrams as though theywere your own. It is extremely important to understand exactly what this means before you submit your firstitem of work for assessment, because the penalties for plagiarism are very severe.
When you graduate from this Department with an MEng degree you will be a few steps away fromChartered status in a profession. We are trusted to ensure that you have not only the knowledge and skillsbut also the ethical standards which you need to deserve that status. For this reason, and because theinternet offers such free access to information, the College treats plagiarism and cheating offences veryseriously indeed.
Within the first week of term you will hear a lecture on plagiarism by a representative of the College Library.Attendance at this lecture is compulsory.
The department uses the plagiarism detection site TurnItIn both to filter electronic submissions ofcoursework and to check electronic duplicates of printed submissions. If any significant level of plagiarismis detected in any submission, the best possible outcome will be a mark of zero.
Related LinksLibrary information on plagiarismplagiarism.org information site, provided by TurnitinTurnItIn websitePolicy and procedures on plagiarism and cheatingLibrary information on plagiarismplagiarism.org information site, provided by TurnitinTurnItIn websitePolicy and procedures on plagiarism and cheating
Imperial College UnionEvery student who registers at Imperial College London automatically becomes a member of the Students’Union. As well as providing an overall framework for student representation, ICU provides a wide range ofinformation, facilities and social events.
| Welcome Information for New Students | 18
Within each department, the Union has two Departmental Representatives (‘Dep Reps’). You elect thesetwo from amongst the eight Year Representatives (‘Year Reps’, two elected by each cohort). During yourfirst few days at Imperial your cohort will need to elect its own Year Rep for ME1; this will obviously not beeasy, and arrangements will be explained.
Related LinksImperial College Union websiteInformation on Union Reps and how to become oneUnion Reps for Mechanical Engineering
Joining the IMechEYou will receive information about the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), as well as a joiningpack, during Welcome Week. We strongly encourage you to make use of student membership: there areno membership fees until you graduate.
The Institution invites all first year students to an informal evening reception towards the end of October atits London headquarters. Further details will be available during your first week and a programme of otherevents will be posted on the IMechE notice board outside the UG Office.
Related LinksHow to apply for to be an Affiliate Member of IMechE
Vacation workIf sponsored, you will probably return to your company during the summer vacation. If not, you may seekrelevant work experience elsewhere, and we can try to help you. Either way, you should join a MonitoredProfessional Development Scheme (MPDS) under which industrial experience will count towards yourregistration as a Chartered Engineer.
It may seem very early to begin thinking about your CEng: for the time being, getting a degree will seemambitious enough. However, workplace experience which you do not record under an MPDS representsadditional time which you will have to spend doing so after graduation.
Tip: At this early stage, planning ahead to secure and use vacation placements can help get youChartered Engineer status up to six months earlier.
Related LinksWhat is a Chartered Engineer? on page 123Professional development on page 122
South Kensington campus mapThe campus map below shows the names and locations of all the major buildings on the South KensingtonCampus.
| Welcome Information for New Students | 19
South Kensington
Buildings where wheelchair access is not possible at this time
Beit QuadrangleImperial College UnionEthos Sports CentrePrince’s Gdns, North SideWeeks HallBlackett LaboratoryRoderic Hill BuildingBone BuildingRoyal School of Mine sAston WebbBessemer Building
Goldsmiths BuildingHuxley BuildingACE ExtensionWilliam Penney
Laboratory16 Electrical Engineering
Business Schoole’s Gate
Eastside
Student Hub Conferenc e
Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment
Faculty Building e’s Gate
e Central Librar y
Queen’s TowerSkempton BuildingCity and Guilds
BuildingSouthside
Sir Ernst Chain Building – Wolfson Laboratories
Flowers Building Chemist ry Building
Sir Alexander Fleming Building
Chemist rye’s Gate
Alumni Visitor Centre
Exh
ibit
ion
Roa
dP
r in
ce’
s G
ate
Prin ce’s Garde ns (Nort h Sid e )
Im perial Col lege Road
Kensing t on Gore
Prin ce’s Garde ns (Wat ts Way )
Thurloe Pla c e
Thurloe Stree t
Cro mwel l Road
Prince Consor t Road
Que
en
’s G
ate
Frankland Road
es
EthosSpor tsCentre
Beit Quad
Sk empton Southside
SirAlexander
Fleming
Faculty
Besseme r
ACEX
Royal School of Mines
Huxley
Black ett
d
Librar y
Chemistr yChemistr y
RCS1
Bon
e
Rode
ric
Hill
Cit y an dGuilds
Buildin g
Ele
ctric
alE
ngin
eerin
gBusiness
Schoo l
Queen’sLawn
Prince’s Ga teGardens
Prince’sGardens
Royal Alber tHall
Hyde Park
| Support and welfare | 20
Chapter
2Support and welfare
Topics:
• About the Department• The Student Hub• Coping with stress• Health services• Disability• The Disability Advisory
Service• Student councelling• English classes for overseas
students• Interruption of studies
Coming to Imperial can be quite daunting if you are moving away fromhome for the first time — especially if you are also new to this country.The campus is probably bigger than any institution you’ve attendedbefore, and the freedom of life in it is immense. The culture shockcan be a challenge, but there are resources at both Department andCollege level to help you face it.
As well as academic support, the department has a student-ledacademic and welfare network. Your departmental representatives(dep reps) will introduce themselves in the first week and outline howthe student view is fed back to the department to improve your timeat the college. The dep reps can be contacted at any time to help youwith an issue to do with work or personal life.
Related LinksCollege site for student health and wellbeingSupport for international students
| Support and welfare | 21
About the DepartmentThis section contains information about the Department of Mechanical Engineering, including some keystaff roles and responsibilities.
About the DepartmentThe Mechanical Engineering Department at Imperial has two main missions: teaching and research.
The department has over 600 undergraduates on the four-year course and about 70 postgraduate studentson one- and two-year courses for Masters degrees. Most of the formal teaching — lectures, laboratoryclasses, tutorials etc. — is carried out by the department’s academic staff, of which there are about 50.
The same academic staff also carry out and/or supervise research, together with 80 full-time research staffand about 240 postgraduate students working for their PhD degrees. The department is managed by aDepartmental Management Committee, representing both teaching and research and chaired by the Headof Department.
The Faculty of Engineering consists of this department and nine others:
• Aeronautics• Bioengineering• Civil and Environmental Engineering• Computing• Earth Science and Engineering• Electrical and Electronic Engineering• Materials• Design Engineering
This faculty and three others make up Imperial College London: ‘Imperial’. Although often just called ‘theCollege’, Imperial — which was until 2007 a college of London University — is an independent university.
In 2013-14, the department received an annual budget from the College of £10.6 million for Teaching andadditionally received a further £16.7 million from outside organisations for sponsored research.
Although ‘Mech Eng’ has its own culture and ways of doing things, we share (and rely on) many Collegeresources, procedures and regulations.
Tip: The university and its Student Union recently collaborated to set out in a single, readable andconcise document — Our Principles — the ethos of the entire College community.
Related Links‘Our Principles’ website
Key contactsAlmost all of the 50 or so academic staff and many other members of the department are engaged inteaching, but as an undergraduate student there are a few you will see and hear much more of.
| Support and welfare | 22
Head of Department
Prof Peter Cawley
Room 460C
Email [email protected]
The Head of Department is responsible to the Universityfor all of the Department’s activities, both teaching andresearch.
Senior Tutor
Dr Fred Marquis
Room 552
Email [email protected]
The Senior Tutor is responsible for the welfare andacademic progress of every undergraduate student in thedepartment.
Should you wish to discuss an issue with an alternativemember of the faculty, Dr Julie Varley is also available(Room 549, Email: [email protected], Tel 47089)
Academic Tutor
Dr Juliet Varley
Room 549
Email [email protected]
The Academic Tutor (a new post in this department) isconcerned with all aspects of the ‘student experience’, butespecially those involving the challenging transition fromschool to university.
| Support and welfare | 23
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Dr Mike Bluck
Room 747
Email [email protected]
Senior UG Administrator
Josie Ann Howard
UG Office, Room 553
Email [email protected]
The Senior UG Administrator is responsible for managingthe interaction of students and teaching programmes —dealing, in particular, with timetabling and registrationissues.
UG Administrator
Tom Curtin
UG Office, Room 553
Email [email protected]
| Support and welfare | 24
Departmental Disability Officer (DDO)
Dr Fred Marquis
Room 552
Email [email protected]
The Departmental Disability Office is able to help studentsarrange for any special requirements that they may needthroughtout their study at Imperial (see Disability on page13).
The Undergraduate OfficeUntil you graduate, the UG Office will be your main point of contact with the Department.
For any general queries, the UG Office (room 552) is the place to start. The office is open 09:30–15:30each weekday except Wednesday, when it closes at 13:30.
You will hear a lot from the UG Office — mostly by email — during the course of your studies. Pleaseread emails carefully as they provide vital information on lectures, assessment and other topics of realimportance to you. We do try to keep such alerts to a bare minimum.
Just outside the UG office are submission letterboxes for the submissions you need to make in hard copy.Download a cover sheet for each item from Blackboard, sign it to attest that it is your own work and postyour submission in the box provided for collection at the deadline time.
Warning: The submission for all hard copy assignments is 12:00 noon, and this is an absolutedeadline!
Related LinksME1 coursework cover sheetME2 coursework cover sheetME3 coursework cover sheetME4 coursework cover sheet
The Senior TutorThe Senior Tutor is responsible for the welfare and academic progress of every undergraduate student inthe department, and works with the student representatives to ensure your course is running as smoothlyas possible. He can offer personal advice and help to any student on both academic and non-academicmatters.
The Senior Tutor is also on call during vacations but if for any reason he is unavailable, or you are unsureabout who to talk to on a particular issue, please ask any staff member in the UG Office and they willdecide who is best able to help you.
One responsibility of the Senior Tutor’s team is to maintain records for each student so that, for example:
• You can be notified of your examination results• You can provide evidence of problems such as ill health, for it to be presented to the Board of
Examiners.
Your student file is strictly confidential to the Senior Tutor and his team; no-one else is allowed to consult it.
Should you wish to discuss an issue with an alternative member of the faculty, Dr Julie Varley is alsoavailable (Room 549, Email: [email protected], Tel 47089)
| Support and welfare | 25
Personal TutorsYour personal tutor will stay with you from year to year and will probably become the staff member youknow best. Both of you should maintain the relationship: you may need their help and support, and s/he willneed to know both your academic and personal qualities in order to act later as your referee.
To help your tutor get to know you, much of the coursework you submit via the UG Office will be returnedto him/her: this will provide one opportunity to review and discuss your academic work and your progressduring the year.
You should feel able to contact your personal tutor at any time.
Duties of a Personal TutorThe duties expected of a Personal Tutor are outlined by the College but vary from department todepartment. All Personal Tutors are expected to maintain an overview of their tutees’ academic progressand development, and to provide them with regular one-to-one feedback and guidance.
The duties of a personal tutor include:
• Helping first-year students to adjust to the academic and social aspects of university life.• Directing students towards existing resources to support their transition to academic study.• Acting as the tutee’s first port of call in the case of academic or non-academic problems.• Returning marked coursework to first and second year students, and thereby monitoring their progress.• Monitoring and assessing their tutees’ overall academic performance in ME1-2 progress tests.• Reporting to the Senior Tutor on the progress of their tutees when requested.• Reviewing and approving any tutee’s XPD Activity Form, so that ECTS credits can be accrued for an
extracurricular course or placement.• Helping their tutees choose ME3 DMT and ME4 Individual projects, ensuring that they have done so by
the specified deadline, and attending a meeting between each tutee and the Project Supervisor at leastonce per term to monitor progress.
• Attending each tutee’s Individual Project seminar.• Providing written or on-line references for tutees applying for internships, grants, awards or first
appointments. This should provide students with the best possible reason for keeping their tutors intouch, up to date with their CV, and generally pleased to know them.
Related LinksThe Imperial Success Guide: everything you need to support the transition from school touniversity
The Year OrganisersEach of the four Year Organisers is responsible for overall administration of one year of the undergraduatecourse. This includes the coordination of different modules of the academic programme, and liaison (viathe Year Representatives) between students and the staff teaching them.
| Support and welfare | 26
The 1st Year Organiser
Dr Maria Charalambides
Room 516
Email [email protected]
The 2nd Year Organiser
Dr Guillermo Rein
Room 340
Email [email protected]
The 3rd Year Organiser
Dr Daniel Balint
Room 519
Email [email protected]
| Support and welfare | 27
You should check the ME3 Blackboard site and notice board (on level 7, by the lifts) frequently during termtime. Notices and emails are usually the only practicable means of communication in ME3.
The 4th Year Organiser
Dr Ambrose Taylor
Room 515
Email [email protected]
Student Exchange CoordinatorThe Student Exchange Coordinator is responsible for all students particpating in the university exchangeprogramme.
The Role of the Student Exchange Coordinator is:
• To select the students that will take part in the exchange programme.• To advise incoming and outgoing students, before and during the exchange, on academic issues such
as permissible course choice and credit and course requirements.• To approve learning agreements submitted by students on exchange.• To review exams marks and transcripts of incoming and outgoing exchange students.
Dr Stelios Rigopoulos
Room 620
s.rigopoulos [email protected]
The Student HubThe Student Hub, situated in Sherfield Building, provides a ‘one-stop shop’ for all key information andsupport you might need for life at Imperial.
| Support and welfare | 28
Amongst the services and topics on which knowledgeable staff can offer advice, support andcomprehensive information are:
• Accommodation• Financial support• Tuition fees• Student records• Exams• International student issues
The Student Hub can be found on Level 3, Sherfield Building and is open Mondays to Fridays 09.30–17.00(10.00–17.00 on Wednesdays).
Related LinksStudent Hub
Coping with stressStress — an adverse reaction to excessive pressure from work and your environment — affects many ofus, staff included. Coping with it effectively is an essential life skill, and learning to do so will be a valuablepart of your education. The College offers extensive help.
Support is on hand at a number of levels.
The workload at Imperial is high, and is likely to be a major factor in how you feel — especially, of course,as exams approach. If you are struggling, talk to your personal tutor first. Both the Academic Tutor and theSenior Tutor can help you to untangle the work and personal factors on you.
Remember: Don’t leave things too late! Seek help before things get on top of you: there's nothingto be ashamed of in doing so.
Exams, of course, are stress concentration factor number one. The Health Centre and Student CouncellingService offer a wide range of resources to manage exam stress and anxiety, including even generalguidance on revision and study techniques. It also runs Exam Stress Workshops from November onwards,allocating places on a first-come, first-served basis.
Related LinksHealth centre website on exam stressHealth centre website on exam stressStudent Councelling ServiceHealth centre website on exam stress
Health servicesA list of health and welfare services is available in the College throughout the Department and College.You will probably need to make little or no use of these services, but you should register as an NHS patientwith the Health Centre within the first few weeks of term.
Health Centre
• 40 Prince’s Gardens Southside, Watts Way, London SW7 1LY• 24-hour telephone service: +44 (0)20 7584 6301• Emergencies (Security) 4444 (internal) Internal extension 49375/6• Opening times: term time 08.00–18.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 08.00–13.00
Tuesday; vacations 08.00–17.00 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 08.00–13.00 Tuesday.Closed at weekends and on public holidays.
| Support and welfare | 29
On weekdays during the Christmas and Easter closures, the Health Centre runs an emergency cliniconly, 08.00–10.00. Reception is open 08.00–13.00.
Out of hours services
If you are registered with the Health Centre as a National Health Service (NHS) patient, and needmedical advice outside normal opening hours please telephone the surgery as usual. Follow the recordedinstructions which explain how to contact the out-of-hours service.
The Health Centre provides a 24-hour emergency service for NHS registered patients only. If you are noteligible to register there, you may use its on-site services during normal working hours only. Make sure youare registered with an NHS General Practitioner (GP) near where you live during term, in case you needthe doctor to visit you there or need medical advice out-of-hours.
Nearest Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments
• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital 369 Fulham Road London SW10 9NH• St Mary’s Hospital, Praed Street, London W2 1NY
Important: Accident and Emergency (‘A&E’) departments should only be used for accidents andemergencies. If your problem is not a true emergency, or you are unsure of what to do, pleasecontact the Health Centre out-of-hours service.
Related LinksCollege site for student health and wellbeingImperial College Health CentreEmail Health Centre
DisabilityStudying at university can be a special challenge if you have a disability. It is very important that you let usknow about any disability, specific learning difficulty or health problem as soon as possible. We can thenarrange the expert advice and support you need to fulfil your potential and to graduate with the degree youmerit.
Some students who have experienced any of the issues listed below never think of themselves as having adisability, but find that additional support makes all the difference to their study experience.
• Specific learning difficulties (such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, AD[H]D)• Autistic spectrum disorder (such as Asperger’s)• Deafness or hearing difficulties• Long term mental health difficulties (such as chronic anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression)• Medical conditions (such as epilepsy, arthritis, diabetes, Crohn’s disease)• Physical disabilities or mobility impairments• Vision difficulties.
The Departmental Disability Officer (DDO) should be your first point of contact. The DDO will be able tohelp you with arranging whatever support is necessary within the department. The DDO is also the personwho will apply for Special Examination Arrangements on your behalf. You should contact them withoutdelay if you think that you may need extra time or other adjustments for your examinations
| Support and welfare | 30
Departmental Disability Officer
Dr Fred Marquis
Room 552
Email [email protected]
Related LinksEmail Disability Liaison OfficerThe Disability Advisory Service on page 30
The Disability Advisory ServiceThe departmental Disability Liaison Officer can provide advice, support and referral to the College-wideDisability Advisory Service.
The Disability Advisory Service works with individual students, no matter what their disability, toensure that they have the support they need. It can also help if you think that you may have a previouslyunrecognised study problem such as dyslexia. The service is both confidential (information about you isonly passed on to other people in the university with your agreement) and individual in that any support istailored to what you need.
The Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is a grant that can be used to pay any extra costs that are adirect result of disability. In order to apply, you must be a home student with a disability who is resident inthe UK, paying home fees; you can be studying full time or part time. This fund is not means-tested and isalso a grant not a loan so any home student with a disability can apply and will not be expected to pay itback.
Note: Students with unseen disabilities such as mental health difficulties, dyslexic type difficultiesor long term health problems are also eligible for DAS support.
Related LinksDisability Advisory ServiceDisabled Students’ AllowanceEmail Disability Liaison Officer
Student councellingThe Student Counselling Service offers short-term counselling to all registered students of Imperial CollegeLondon. It is free and confidential.
The primary purpose of the Student Counselling Service is to enable students to become more effectivein their lives within and outside Imperial College. They offer a confidential space where you can talk aboutissues you feel troubled by. They will not usually pass on personal information about you to anybodyoutside the Service, unless you have given us permission to do so.
Location
| Support and welfare | 31
The Service is located on Level 4, Sherfield Building. From the lifts on Level 4, walk diagonally to your rightto the corner of the lift foyer. Go through the double doors and left up the ramp, through another set ofdouble doors, and reception is the sixth door on your right: Room 449.
Opening times
Reception is usually open on weekdays in term time between 9.30 - 12.30 and 13.30 - 16.15. Times mayvary out of term time.
Appointments
Contact the Service's Co-ordinator, Maggie Backhouse by telephone on 020- 7594 9637 or by email([email protected]) to make an appointment.
English classes for overseas studentsThe undergraduate course involves a substantial amount of reading and writing, as well as oralpresentation. Fluency in English is vital if you are to be successful in the course.
The Centre for Academic English (www3.imperial.ac.uk/academic-english) runs a series of Englishclasses in the evenings for students who need tuition and practice.
Caution: Failure to attend these classes could result in your not understanding the lectures andhence failing the end-of-year exams.
Related LinksEnglish language support offered by the Centre for Academic EnglishCentre for Academic English, information for undergraduates and exchange studentsEnglish language support offered by the Centre for Academic EnglishCentre for Academic English, information for undergraduates and exchange students
Interruption of studiesThe MEng programme, its examination structure and its marking scheme are designed for continuousattendance. Interruption of Studies — effectively, temporary withdrawal — can be arranged for on medical,financial or personal grounds, but can create significant problems especially for international students.
If you wish to take time out from your course of study, speak to your personal tutor first. S/he will refer youto the Senior Tutor, but it is important for us to understand your particular case and all aspects of why youwish to take the ‘gap’. If you plans are to work, for example, there may be options for integrating them withyour current degree programme or for transferring to another.
Temporarily ceasing to be a student can create significant problems: details of these are given on theRegistry website.
Related Linkshttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/registry/currentstudents/registrationchanges
| Learning resources and campus facilities | 32
Chapter
3Learning resources and campus facilities
Topics:
• South Kensington campusmap
• Learning resources• Campus facilities• Workshops
The College Campus will be the focus of your time at Imperial. Most ofthe learning resources you need for your studies are provided withinthe Department’s home City and Guilds building, which is open untilmidnight. Further learning resources are provided on a campus widebasis. There are also many facilities provided elsewhere on the SouthKensington which are not directly related to learning.
| Learning resources and campus facilities | 33
South Kensington campus mapThe campus map below shows the names and locations of all the major buildings on the South KensingtonCampus.
South Kensington
Buildings where wheelchair access is not possible at this time
Beit QuadrangleImperial College UnionEthos Sports CentrePrince’s Gdns, North SideWeeks HallBlackett LaboratoryRoderic Hill BuildingBone BuildingRoyal School of Mine sAston WebbBessemer Building
Goldsmiths BuildingHuxley BuildingACE ExtensionWilliam Penney
Laboratory16 Electrical Engineering
Business Schoole’s Gate
Eastside
Student Hub Conferenc e
Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment
Faculty Building e’s Gate
e Central Librar y
Queen’s TowerSkempton BuildingCity and Guilds
BuildingSouthside
Sir Ernst Chain Building – Wolfson Laboratories
Flowers Building Chemist ry Building
Sir Alexander Fleming Building
Chemist rye’s Gate
Alumni Visitor Centre
Exh
ibit
ion
Roa
dP
r in
ce’
s G
ate
Prin ce’s Garde ns (Nort h Sid e )
Im perial Col lege Road
Kensing t on Gore
Prin ce’s Garde ns (Wat ts Way )
Thurloe Pla c e
Thurloe Stree t
Cro mwel l Road
Prince Consor t Road
Que
en
’s G
ate
Frankland Road
es
EthosSpor tsCentre
Beit Quad
Sk empton Southside
SirAlexander
Fleming
Faculty
Besseme r
ACEX
Royal School of Mines
Huxley
Black ett
d
Librar y
Chemistr yChemistr y
RCS1
Bon
e
Rode
ric
Hill
Cit y an dGuilds
Buildin g
Ele
ctric
alE
ngin
eerin
g
BusinessSchoo l
Queen’sLawn
Prince’s Ga teGardens
Prince’sGardens
Royal Alber tHall
Hyde Park
Learning resourcesThe following information relates to facilities provided by the Department and more generally by theCollege to help you to study and to learn more effectively.
Blackboard VLEFor any question connected in any way with your course, try Blackboard first. We use this web basedVirtual Learning Environment (VLE) for most teaching materials and activities, and it is updated constantly.Information from other departments and from College administration is better found using the web.
As a registered student, you should already be registered on Blackboard (http://bb.imperial.ac.uk). Log inusing your College username and password.
| Learning resources and campus facilities | 34
Note: Blackboard is linked to the College login system: if you change your College password, yourBlackboard password will change.
Each student cohort has a General Information Organisation (under My Organisations) which isdynamically updated, and should be your first point of reference. Each year will be registered onto therelevant Blackboard course pages.
Related LinksLogin to BlackboardDepartmental Study website
LibraryThe College’s Central Library is next to the Sherfield Building. It provides access to high quality resourcesincluding electronic journals, databases, textbooks, print journals and maps. PCs and wireless access tothe College computing network are also available.
Much more information is available on the library’s website, and you will be given an induction courseduring the first week of term.
The Liaison Librarian, who is shared with the Departments of Bioengineering and Materials, can provide orarrange
• Training for students and staff on how to use the library and its services• Support on how to use the library’s resources• Advice on how to cite, reference or use RefWorks
etc. etc..
The Liaison Librarian is available in the Central Library, Room 110, on Tuesdays 12:30–14:00 or at anothertime by arrangement.
Post HolderEmail(@imperial.ac.uk)
Phone Room
Liaison Librarian (Engineering) Nicole Urquhart n.urquhart 41889 Library
Related LinksCentral Library website
The Departmental LibrarianLike every other department, we have a Departmental Librarian to guide and support your access tocentral library resources.
The departmental librarian
• Maintains a web page• Offers office hours for consultation: see the web page for details.
Related LinksDepartmental librarian's web pageEmail our departmental librarian
CommunicationsOur primary channel for maintaining contact with you is e-mail. Letter post is still used for information fromoutside, and delivered to the concourse letter rack. You must check this regularly.
The email address issued to you on registration will remain active until one year after you leave Imperial.You can use this address freely to communicate with other students, staff and people outside the College.We try to email you no more than necessary, but messages will still be necessary — and some of thesewill be very important and, possibly, urgent.
| Learning resources and campus facilities | 35
Caution: You must check your e-mail regularly for incoming messages. If you fail to read andclear your inbox regularly you may be unable to receive further mail: any resulting failure to readimportant communications will not be accepted as grounds for mitigation.
If necessary, ICT can redirect your mail to a colleague or to a non-Imperial email address.
There are letter racks, for both internal and external mail to students, on the Level 2 concourse near thedrinks machines.
On the Level 2 concourse there are year group and general notice boards as well as displays of staff andstudent photos.
Related LinksTeaching staff listed by surnameRe-directing Imperial email to a non-Imperial address
Internet accessImperial College London provides and supports excellent access to the internet, both on-site and in halls.However, this access is not unrestricted and its misuse, or its use for anti-social behaviour, are regardedas serious offences.
An account for access to IT facilities was created for you on registration, and you have been provided witha username and password for login and internet access via Outlook, Internet Explorer and Firefox. If youforget your password and need to obtain a new one, you will need to produce a valid college ID card.
Mobile access to many services is available through the Imperial College Mobile app.
Warning: In your contract as a student you have agreed to abide by the Conditions of Use of ITServices. These conditions concern anti-social behaviour by which other users can be affectedand areas of misuse which come under UK Law. The College network extends to student halls andhere, again, it is important to be aware of the restrictions imposed both by College regulations andby national law.
Remember: Even outside timetabled class periods, private study and report deadlines can putheavy pressure on computer resources. Please keep your social networking and recreationalsurfing time to a considerate minimum on College owned computers.
Related LinksConditions of use of IT facilitiesInternet and phone in student hallsInformation on Imperial College Mobile app
ComputersThe Department’s main undergraduate computing facility is equipped with medium specification PCsrunning Windows 7. All run the same suite of software, and their use is often reserved for timetabledclasses. Outside those periods they are normally available for individual use, but it is important to minimisesocial networking time.
As an undergraduate you have right of access to more than 240 computers in rooms 203, 761, and 762 ofCAGB, and rooms 208, and 317 in the Skempton Building (map 27).
All shared computers are loaded with a standard suite of software including Microsoft Office, drawing andCAD applications, stress analysis and fluid dynamics applications and other, more specialised engineeringsoftware. You will use these facilities for timetabled programming classes in ME1 and ME2, and forspecialised electives in later years. At other times they are available for report writing and preparingpresentations etc.
Printing facilities are available in all computer rooms and are accessed using your College ID card. You willbe given £15.00 of printer credit at the beginning of each year, after which you can purchase printer credits
| Learning resources and campus facilities | 36
to charge your card at the Central Library or online. Printing costs 3p per black and white A4 page and 6pper colour A4 page.
If you are thinking of buying a computer, special educational discounts are available, once you haveregistered, from the College Purchasing website. Consumables can be purchased at the Union Shop onthe Sherfield Walkway, and software at the online ICT Software Shop.
Related LinksICT resources for new usersASK ICT - the ICT service deskUnion shop websitePurchasing websiteICT Software ShopLogin to online print service (on site or via VPN only)
Microsoft Office 365Once registered, all students at Imperial College are automatically granted access to Microsoft Office 365.
Students at Imperial College are given access to Microsoft Office 365 for the duration of their studies. Thisallows access to the latest versions of Word, Excel and Powerpoint as well as 1TB of online storage spaceon OneDrive.
Related LinksImperial ICT Microsoft Office 365 pageManaging your ICTprintservice account
Copying and printingCopying facilities across the campus can be accessed using your College ID card and charges will bededucted from your electronic print account. An on-site contractor provides facilities for more advancedtasks.
Every year, your print account card will be topped up with credit (usually £15) for work use. Additionalmoney can be added when needed through vending style machines in the library or online.
Printers (with photocopying capability) are available in:
• Every computer room• Central Library.
Some projects require that you design a poster to present your work. The poster can be printed at ServicePoint, the College’s on-site contractor for bulk and professional printing.
Remember: Even if it is posted on Blackboard, every document you will need for scheduledteaching activities will be printed and provided to you! These handouts are usually issued atlectures, and only if you miss them will you need to print your own copy.
Related LinksManaging your ICTprintservice accountDirections to Service Point (pdf)
Personal protection equipmentThe department has exceptionally good lab and workshop facilities. To use them, you must be wearingsuitable protective clothing — most of which will be issued to you.
Important:
It is a Departmental health and safety requirement that before using any of the workshopmachinery, you are wearing appropriate clothing.
| Learning resources and campus facilities | 37
Before you attend the Student Workshop for the first time, you will be asked to provide height and weightdetails. Shortly afterwards, you will provided with your own personal boiler suit and safety glasses.
You will also be provided with a white lab-coat, which you must wear when entering any of the laboratoriesin the building except the Mechatronics lab.
On every subsequent occasion that you enter the Student Workshop, you must wear this protectiveequipment. You must also wear shoes sturdy enough, and with thick enough soles, to protect your feetfrom any heavy object that may fall on them or any sharp object you may tread on. Anybody wearing open-toed shoes or sandals will be refused access.
Tip: It is your responsibility to know when you should be attending laboratory or workshop sessionsand to have adequate personal protection equipment available. Keep it all on-site, in your locker!
LockersDuring Welcome Week you will be allocated a numbered locker in the City and Guilds Building. We plan forthis to remain your locker for the duration of your course. Use it for secure storage of any items which youmight not need immediately, such as protective clothing for the workshop.
The lockers require a standard, small sized padlock (25 mm centreline on 6 mm diameter hasp) which youcan bring with you or purchase locally.
Breakout student space (BOSS)There is a student breakout space, suitable for informal study, on Level 2 of the Skempton Building. Itcomprises PC/laptop benching, comfortable seating and meeting spaces and is provided with drinkingwater, vending machines, copiers and a recycling station. Access it from the south end of level 2, nearRoom 203.
Quiet study spaceThe City and Guilds Building is entering a period of major refurbishment: until this is complete, it willlack study space like that of the Central Library Reading Room. Teaching space which is not booked forscheduled classes will normally be left open for quiet study.
By agreement with Security, the following spaces should remain open for study outside hours and atweekends:
649-652 Drawing offices
749-752 Drawing offices
759B-C Design studio
Tip: If you find any of these rooms locked and would like them opened, please contact Security(tel. 48910).
Related LinksQuiet study space on page 37
ICT supportImperial College Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) provides general assistance withIT issues from a central Service Desk situated in Sherfield Building (Level 4 West). You can contact theservice desk personally (08.30 to 18.00, Monday to Friday, excluding College holidays), by phone (020759 49000, internal 49000) or by email; however, the recommended method is to use the 24 hour onlinelogging service.
Related LinksICT webpageICT resources for new usersFree software for students
| Learning resources and campus facilities | 38
ASK ICT - the ICT service deskUnion shop websitePurchasing websiteICT Software ShopLogin to online print service (on site or via VPN only)Email Computer Facilities Manager (Dr Nicolas Cinosi, room 768, ext 49681)
Campus facilitiesThe College provides a number of useful facilities not directly related to teaching that you will need on aday to day basis.
RefectoriesThere are refectories in the Sherfield Building and the Union Building.
Banking and ATMsThere is a branch of Santander on Level 1, Sherfield Building. There are also cash machines in the Level 1concourse of the Sherfield Building and in the Mechanical Engineering concourse.
Bicycle and car parkingCycling in London is not easy, but there are many secure bike parking spaces on campus. Driving a car iseven more difficult and parking spaces are virtually non-existent.
There are five designated bike parking areas of which the closest, with 600 spaces, is under the FacultyBuilding (the ‘blue box’, number 22 on the Campus map) behind the City & Guilds building. Car parkingspace on the College site is very limited, and availability varies as spaces are used for building andmaintenance work. If any spaces are available for students then they will be administered by the StudentUnion.
Important: Public transport links to and from the campus are excellent: we strongly advise that youdo not bring a car to the College.
Related LinksMap of bike parking facilities in the area (pdf)Transport for London site
Ethos Sports CentreAll undergraduates are entitled to free access the Ethos Sports Centre located on the north side of Prince'sGardens. Once enrolled, students can use the gym and swimming pool. Hire of courts and access toclasses are subject to small additional costs.
Related LinksTransport for London site
WorkshopsThe department has outstandingly good workshop facilities, situated in the adjacent Skempton building. Asfor any workshop, you must be dressed appropriately before you can enter, and must be properly trainedbefore you can use any equipment.
Important:
To enter any workshop, you must be wearing a lab coat or boilersuit and relevant safety equipment(e.g. safety glasses and footwear etc.). The IDEAs Lab does not include an area for changing,
| Learning resources and campus facilities | 39
so before attending you will need to change in some suitable area, e.g. Mechanical or CivilEngineering Department washrooms.
Student Teaching Workshop (STW)
The STW is a metals & plastics workshop located on the ground floor in the Skempton building (SKEM150) and is used extensively in ME2, ME3 and ME4 for the production of project work. It is also used bysome clubs and societies.
The STW workshop is open between the hours 8:30am to 4:15pm Monday to Friday and permanentlysupervised by ME technicians. It is also open on selected Tuesday evenings between 5pm and 7.30pm.Access is not permitted during scheduled teaching. See Blackboard site for more details on access times.
Before being allowed to use the Student Teaching Workshop, all users must first complete a safetyinduction on Blackboard and a workshop skills course. The supervisory staff will determine the maximumnumber of students allowed in and what activities they may undertake.
Post HolderEmail(@imperial.ac.uk)
Phone Room
Workshop Manager Andrew Wallace a.k.wallace 47015 SKEM150
STW Capabilities
Capability Constraints
Hand tools & Bench area Accessible during open sessions when there is noscheduled teaching.
Machine tools
• Lathes• Milling machines• Drills• Bandsaws & Chopsaws• Electric Pipe Bender• Sheet Metal machinery
All machine tools in both the STW & IDEAsworkshops are colour coded:
RED spot machine, for use only by workshoptechnicians
AMBER spot machine, for use by students underthe supervision of a technician and after thecompletion of the necessary training & induction.
GREEN spot machine, for use by students withoutthe supervision of a technician but after thecompletion of induction.
CNC Milling & Turning
For producing complex machined parts in metalsand plastics.
• Haas MiniMill• Hurco VM1 Mill• Haas ST10 Lathe
FDM Additive Manufacturing
Complex models in ABS.
• Stratysys Dimension 1200
Laser Cutting
For metals, wood and plastics.
Submit a CNC request form to Technician.
Students must provide the material (except forFDM), solid model file and drawing of the object.For laser cutting, students must provide a .dxf file ofprofile or outline and a drawing. Suitable materialsare available in the ME Stores.
The service is free to all ME taught courses*; thereis a charged service for non-ME students.
* This includes ME2, ME3 and ME4, AME, IDE and GID enrolled students working on coursework projects.
| Learning resources and campus facilities | 40
Capability Constraints
• Helius 1.5kW.
The IDEAs Lab
The IDEAs Workshop is a craft materials and wood workshop also used for assembly and testing ofprojects. It is located in SKEM 238, above the STW in Skempton. It is mainly used in ME3 and ME4 forgroup and individual project work, and some teaching. The facility is shared with the School of DesignEngineering and as a College Hackspace.
The IDEAs workshop is open between 8.00am and 10.00pm, 7 days per week excluding college closuredays. Entry is by swipe card. The IDEAs workshop is not permanently supervised by ME technicians.
Before being allowed to use the IDEAs workshop, all users must first complete a safety induction onBlackboard and a workshop skills course.
Post HolderEmail(@imperial.ac.uk)
Phone Room
Workshop Manager Andrew Wallace a.k.wallace 47015 SKEM150
Related LinksEmail IDEAs Lab CoordinatorDownload COSHH form
IDEAs Lab Capabilities
Capability Constraints
Hand tools A selection of hand tools are available for use.
Toolkits
There are12 Tool boxes containing a selection ofmechanical assembly.
Cordless hand tools
A selection of cordless tools are available for use,charging points for batteries are provided in theStore room.
During supervised hours tool boxes and cordlesstools are made available upon request.
Both items are provided on longer term loans by abooking system. Individuals are then responsible forlosses or damage of items.
Items must not be removed from the workshop.
Dust Extraction
For sanding and shaping material within IDEAsworkshop.
Workshop has 2 provisions:
1. Down draught air benches for desktop workmust be used for all small and portable objects.
2. Portable vacuum units are available for all largerimmovable items.
Machine tools
A range of saws, drills, sanders and routers areavailable.
All machine tools in both the STW & IDEAsworkshops are colour coded:
RED spot machine, for use only by workshoptechnicians
AMBER spot machine, for use by students underthe supervision of a technician and after thecompletion of the necessary training & induction.
| Learning resources and campus facilities | 41
Capability Constraints
GREEN spot machine, for use by students withoutthe supervision of a technician but after thecompletion of induction.
Laser Cutting and Etching
For light materials such as plywood and MDF up to6mm, plastics and acrylics, card etc. No metals.
• LaserCam A2 60W
Request to Technician.
Provide own materials and .dxf file of profile oroutline. Service is free for all ME taught courses*;there is a charged service for non-ME students andresearchers.
CNC Router
For producing 3D machined models and parts inlight materials such as model board and foam.
• Unimatic
Request to Technician.
Provide own materials and solid model file of object.Service is free for all ME taught courses*; thereis a charged service for non-ME students andresearchers.
Vacuum Forming
Small format vacuum forming in lightthermoformable polymers up to 6mm in thickness.
Request to Technician.
Provide own materials and discuss mould toolmanufacturing method with technician.Service isfree for all ME taught courses*; there is a chargedservice for non-ME students and researchers.
Resin Room
For working with epoxy resins etc. requiringventilation or fume extraction. The area isNOT SUITABLE for spray painting, only brushapplication.
Technician supervised activity, only available duringworking hours.
Students must complete short induction and provideCOSHH/MSDS safety data sheets for materials andtechnical specification sheet.
Project storage
Project work is not to be left out on benches withoutthe explicit permission of the IDEAs workshoptechnicians.
Storage boxes are provided for all individual andgroup projects and are allocated on request to atechnician.
Rack space is provided for larger format projectwork.
Consumables
A selection of project assembly consumables suchas screws, nails, pins, adhesives, tapes etc. arefreely available.
All these items are kept in the central storeroom. The room is open during supervised hoursand accessible by door combination outside ofsupervised hours.
Pit Garage
The Pit Garage is a specialist facility provided exclusively for groups and individuals working on vehicleprojects either as part of their DMT or ME4 projects, or as ex-curricular club activities.
The Pit Garage is open between 8.00am and 10.00pm, 7 days per week excluding college closure days.Entry is by a door code.
The PG is not supervised and is only for use by ME2, ME3 and ME4 students. All users must complete aseparate induction on Blackboard.
* This includes ME2, ME3 and ME4, AME, IDE and GID enrolled students working on coursework projects.
| Learning resources and campus facilities | 42
Post HolderEmail(@imperial.ac.uk)
Phone Room
Pit Garage Manager Graham Gosling g.gosling 47099 769
Pit Garage Telephone Pit Garage noreply 47612 150
Pit Garage Capabilities
Capability Constraints
Hand tools & power tools
• Cutting and shaping tools.
A selection of hand and power tools are availablefor use. Some are controlled by operating rules.
High Power Electrical test equipment
• Power Supplies• Load Bank
Use of this equipment is heavily regulated andsubject to Risk Assessment, requiring training inSafe Operating Procedures.
Dynomometer
• A full vehicle dyno for dynamic performancetesting.
Users are required to be trained and assessedbefore accessing the dyno, when in use the PG isclosed to all other users.
Stores
ME Stores is the delivery and collection point for all purchases in the ME dept delivered by parcel courier.ME Stores also has a metals store where students can obtain materials for their project work.
The Stores is open Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 3.30pm and is closed between 1pm and 2pm.
To obtain any of materials you must complete a Stores Requisition requiring a project number and thesignature of a supervising member of staff.
When you have a delivery for collection you will receive an e-mail advising your goods have arrived.Always ensure your name is specified on the original order.
Post HolderEmail(@imperial.ac.uk)
Phone Room
Storekeeper Mark Holloway mark.holloway 47016 124
Mechatronics Teaching Lab and Projects Room
The Mechatronics Teaching Lab is located in room 770, above the Business School Foyer.
The Teaching Lab is only open during scheduled teaching or by arrangement.
The Mechatronics project room is a small workshop located next to the Mechatronics Teaching Lab whereundergraduate can build and test electronic circuits and devices for use on their projects.
The projects room is open between 8.00am and 10.00pm, 7 days per week excluding college closuredays. There is no control over access but all users are expected to undergo an induction to ensure theirunderstanding of safe working methods.
Post HolderEmail(@imperial.ac.uk)
Phone Room
Mechatronics Lab and Project Room Vim Patel v.patel 59877 772
| Learning resources and campus facilities | 43
Mechatronics Lab Capabilities
Capability Constraints
Measurement and Instrumentation Equipment
• Oscilloscopes (analogue and digital)• Power Supplies• Multimeters• Function Generators• PCs (for Mechatronics related work only)• National Instrument DAQs.
Make a request to Technician. The service/ help isfree to all ME taught courses.
Attention: All HIGH VOLTAGE/ MAINSVOLTAGE based projects/ work must bediscussed and approved/ supervised bythe Technician (by appointment and duringworking hours only, typically 9am to 5pm)
Manual hand Tools
• Screwdrivers• wire-strippers• pliers• cutters• spanners• etc.•
Available upon request during supervised hours.Items can be provided on longer term loans by abooking system.
Individuals are held responsible for any losses ordamage of items.
Only “booked-out” items can be taken out from theProject’s room/ workshop.
Project equipment & consumables.
• resistors• capacitors• transistors• prototyping boards• wire• insulating tape• etc
Freely available to users.
Cordless Drill
A cordless drill is available for very light use, canonly be used within the Project’s room.
Available on request to a technician.
CNC PCB Router
For manufacturing prototype printed circuit boards(PCBs)
• LPKF S63
Submit a request to Technician.
Students must provide the necessary computerfiles for the manufacture of the boards, preferredsoftware is Eagle PCB Design (installed on alimited number of PCs in the Mechatronics Lab.Suitable materials are available in the ME Stores.
Service is free to all ME taught courses*, andproject work; there is a charged service for non-MEstudents.
Soldering Facility
For soldering PCBs or any and other soldering work
Students must complete a short induction to satisfyHealth and Safety.
* This includes ME2, ME3 and ME4, AME, IDE and GID enrolled students working on coursework projects.
| Learning resources and campus facilities | 44
Capability Constraints
Safety Glasses to be worn and Fume Extractionto be used at all times in conjunction with allsoldering work
Materials Testing Lab
The Materials Testing Laboratory, located in room 115, is used for scheduled laboratory classes in ME1and ME2. It is also available for material testing in undergraduate projects in ME and ME4.
The Teaching Lab is only open during normal 8.30am to 4.15pm and requests for access should be madeby appointment.
Post HolderEmail(@imperial.ac.uk)
Phone Room
MoM Teaching Technician Ruth Brooker r.brooker 57046 115
Materials Testing Lab Capabilities
Capability Constraints
Polishing and Grinding
• Grinders• Polishers
All users must have training from the Technicianbefore using the grinders and polishers. Afterapproval they are free for use during lab hours.
Mounting Press
For embedding samples in resin in preparation forpolishing and grinding
All users must have training from the Technicianbefore using the Mounting Press. After approval it isfree for use during lab hours.
Accutom Saw
Accurate Saw to be used for cutting precise sectionlengths
All users must have training from the Technicianbefore using the saw. After approval it is free foruse during lab hours.
Acid Etching
Acids, swabs and microscope to be used forrevealing sample microstrucures.
All users must have training from the Technicianbefore performing any etching, the key for the acidscupboard must be collected from the technician forevery session of etching and returned immediatelyafter use.
Hardness Tester
Vickers Hardness tester with variable loads
All users must have training from the Technicianbefore using the hardness tester. After approval it isfree for use during lab hours.
Stereomicroscope
Microscope with image capture for basic imaging
All users must have training from the Technicianbefore using the stereomicroscope.
Instron Universal Testers
Testing machines for quasi-static testing in tensionor compression, at rates between 0.005mm/min and500mm/min, load capabilities of up to 50kN.
All users must have training from the Technicianbefore using the Instrons. After approval theInstrons can be booked for each day's use.
Scales Available for anyone to use.
| Learning resources and campus facilities | 45
Capability Constraints
30kg capability digital readout to 1g accuracy
Charpy Impact Tester All users must have training from the Technicianbefore using the Charpy Impact Tester.
Furnaces
Fan and convention furnaces, Fan up to 750°C,conventional up to 1200°C
Discussions about use of the furnaces should beheld with the technician before use each time.
Project work in research labsCollege and departmental health and safety rules dictate that students on taught courses may only work inlaboratories during technical staff hours — i.e. between 08:30–17:00, Monday to Friday, while the Collegeis open.
Even outside these hours, no-one is permitted to work alone unless the work has been declared (in writing)to be non-hazardous, and authorised by his or her supervisor and the laboratory manager — otherwise, asecond person must be present.
Caution: For some laboratories, ‘lone working’ permission is never given.
| Study | 46
Chapter
4Study
Topics:
• Teaching and learningmethods
• Late or absent teaching staff• Humanities and languages
evening classes• Student representation• The Staff Student Committee• Student surveys• Studying abroad• Professional Skills• Coping with stress
The study techniques which brought you success in your schoolqualifications may not work so well at University. The Imperial SuccessGuide site offers excellent general advice on study skills for highereducation.
Higher education is designed to give you lifelong skills for learningautonomously, taking responsibility for your own learning andassessment. Steady and effective study from the beginning isessential if you are to build a sure foundation for ME2 and beyond.
Warning: In your previous studies (e.g. for A-levels) you mayhave done virtually all your work near the end of the year. Inhigher education, this technique is extremely unlikely to work.
Related LinksThe Imperial Success Guide: everything you need tosupport the transition from school to university
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Teaching and learning methodsSeveral main methods of teaching and learning are used in undergraduate programmes. The mix varieswidely between modules and from year to year and is specified in detail in the module description.
LecturesFor most modules, the knowledge and skills you will need to learn will be introduced and explained at aseries of whole-class lectures. All the outline handouts you require will generally be provided, but you willneed to annotate and build around them in the way which best supports your personal learning style.
Higher education cannot be achieved by memorising lecture notes. Mastering the necessary knowledgeand skills will demand understanding them, so that if necessary you could explain them to others. Thisinvolves both learning alongside others, and reading alternative presentations of the same material byothers who have already mastered it.
Some of the lectures given in theatres equipped with PanOpto are recorded and — after a day or so — canbe viewed directly via the course Blackboard page or the general PanOpto page.
Many students find lecture videos a valuable resource for review and revision. However, a recordingcannot possibly replace the shared learning experience of the live lecture, and cannot be relied on forcompleteness. Occasionally, video capture partially or completely fails. Any lecture recordings are providedonly for personal use by registered Imperial College students, and only for educational purposes.
Warning: Any redistribution (e.g. via social media), sharing (even by email), editing or re-use of alecture video will be treated as misconduct and handled as a disciplinary matter under the Code ofStudent Discipline.
Related LinksLogin to PanOpto video siteGuidelines on audio and video lecture recordingsCode of Student Discipline (E2)
TutorialsEngineering is about solving problems. Each examined lecture course will be supported by sheets oftutorial problems for you to work on in your own time. Solving these problems reinforces the work of thelectures and keeping up to date with them should be one of your top priorities.
Important: Make legible records of your own solutions and keep them organised. They will helpyou revise before exams and will be essential to show a tutor where you had got to, and how, whenyou got stuck.
Because getting stuck is a natural part of the learning process, timetabled tutorials are provided at whichacademic staff or graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) can ‘debug’ your solution and get you back on theroad. Discussing your solution method with a tutor is both an effective learning activity and a good modelfor team work in real engineering projects.
Important: ME1 and ME2 tutorials are an integral part of each course and you are expected toattend.
Lab exercisesYou’ve chosen to study engineering, and will want to see things working. The main aim of lab classes is tomake engineering principles and models real, but they will also give you material to exercise report-writingskills and to analyse, understand and present experimental data.
The proportion of individual, hands-on work will differ between subjects. Some some, lab exercises willbe primarily demonstrations; for others, e.g. mechatronics, you or your group will be doing all the practicalwork yourself.
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Late or absent teaching staff
If no lecturer or tutor arrives for a timetabled class, check your timetable to find out who should have beenthere, and use the teaching staff lists to contact them directly and/or by email and phone.
If this action fails to deliver, contact the UG Office.
Humanities and languages evening classesThe Centre for Co-curricular Studies offers evening classes in a broad selection of subjects outsidescience and technology. Fees are normally due, but the Department will normally reimburse studentsregistered on the Year Abroad programme for courses in the language of their chosen exchange country.
Related LinksInformation on evening classes at the Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication
Student representationEach undergraduate cohort annually elects two representatives. These “Year Reps” serve a generalmediating role with academic staff when issues arise and, if necessary, at the periodic meetings of theStudent-Staff Committee.
Two Departmental Representatives (Dep Reps) manage the Year Reps and provide a communicationchannel to the Student Union’s Academic Affairs Officer. The Union manages the online process by whichreps are nominated and elected.
For teaching staff to maintain both quality of delivery and pace of innovation, they need engaged andconstructive feedback from students. If issues arise on either side, they can be most speedily resolved bydirect contact between the Year Rep and the responsible member of staff involved.
If the issue cannot be resolved at this level, or its resolution could benefit from wider discussion, it can beraised at the Staff Student Committee.
Related LinksInformation on Union Reps and how to become oneUnion Reps for Mechanical Engineering
The Staff Student CommitteeThis departmental committee, which is chaired by a student, normally meets three times per session.It reports to the Courses Committee on academic, administrative and social matters relevant to all MEstudents on taught courses.
Any aspect of taught courses can be discussed at an SSC meeting, and all reps are expected to ensurethat all students have the opportunity to get their views expressed at these meetings. The agenda is fixedin advance, although issues can be raised under ‘any other business’.
Undergraduates are represented by a departmental rep and both reps from each of the four years of thecourse. Since MSc students on Advanced Mechanical Engineering course share many of the same taughtcourses, their representative sits on the same committee.
The meeting minutes are posted on Blackboard.
Staff Student Committee members
The Committee is normally chaired by one of the Departmental Representatives.
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Post HolderEmail(@imperial.ac.uk)
Phone Room
Departmental Representative To be elected — — —
Departmental Representative To be elected — — —
ME1 Representative To be elected — — —
ME1 Representative To be elected — — —
ME2 Representative To be elected — — —
ME2 Representative To be elected — — —
ME3 Representative To be elected — — —
ME3 Representative To be elected — — —
ME4 Representative To be elected — — —
ME4 Representative To be elected — — —
AME Representative To be elected — — —
Deputy Head of Department(teaching)
Michael J Lowe m.lowe 47071 566
Director of Undergraduate Studies Michael J Bluck m.bluck 47055 747
Senior Tutor A J (Fred) Marquis a.marquis 47040 551
Academic Tutor Juliet Varley j.varley 47089 549
Director, AME MSc course Ulrich N Hansen u.hansen 47061 714
First year organiser Maria Charalambides m.charalambides 47246 516
Second year organiser Guillermo Rein g.rein 47036 614
Third year organiser Daniel Balint d.balint 47084 519
Fourth year organiser Ambrose C Taylor a.c.taylor 47149 515
Student surveysYour feedback is important to this department, the College and Imperial College Union. Three College-widesurveys provide regular opportunities to provide it.
The two College-level surveys are:
UG SOLE lecturer/module survey
This survey, which runs at the end of the autumn and spring terms, is your chance to tell us youropinion of the modules you have attended and the lecturers who taught them.
Alongside exam and coursework results, SOLE (and especially the free-text comment boxes) provideour main source of information for managing course development.
Important: When entering free text, please be absolutely specific (with names!) about who orwhat you are commenting on.
Student Experience Survey (SES)
Run at the same time as the autumn term UG SOLE lecturer/module survey is the Union’s StudentExperience Survey (SES). This survey will cover your induction, welfare, pastoral and support servicesexperience.
• Motivations for taking the programme,
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• Depth of learning• Organisation• Dissertation and• Professional development.
You will receive during spring term an email providing a link to the survey.
Important: Imperial surveys are absolutely anonymous. The more students that take part the morerepresentative and useful the results, so please take a few minutes to give your views.
National Student Survey (NSS)
While in the final year of your programme, you will be invited to take part in the National StudentsSurvey (NSS). NSS asks all final-year undergraduates to rate a range of elements related to theirstudent experience such as:
• Academic support• Learning resources and• Assessment and feedback.
This nationwide survey compiles year-on-year comparative data for higher education institutions, withits results being made publicly available.
Related LinksVisit Unistats websit to see Imperial’s National Student Survey resultsRead examples of student survey response at Union websiteFind out more about Registry surveys and see previous resultsEmail Registry Survey Support team
Studying abroadWe have exchange arrangements with some of the best technological universities in France, Germany, theNetherlands, Switzerland, Australia and the USA. If you are on the Mechanical Engineering with a YearAbroad programme, and your academic record and (if necessary) foreign language skills are good enough,you can spend your fourth year abroad.
Many studies have shown that ‘travel broadens the mind’ and deepens academic abilities not only inyour chosen subject but also in linguistic and inter-cultural skills, self-reliance and self-awareness. Manyemployers are well aware of the benefits and value such a period abroad highly, enhancing employabilityand job prospects.
The Exchange Coordinator gives an open introductory lecture outlining the scheme.
You must bear in mind that to reach the required language level for certain placements, you will needto start a language course in year 1. Generally, the way you study and the rate you study at will need tomatch your individual case. For example, if you have a good A or AS level language and your sponsoringcompany is arranging for you to work in the relevant country during a long vacation, formal languageclasses here during term may not be necessary at all. However, if you have only GCSE level Frenchor German you would be well advised to take one of the intensive language classes offered by theHumanities Department during term, and to work/travel abroad in the summer vacation(s).
Caution: It is important to be aware from the outset that places on exchange schemes are verylimited, competition is fierce and academic selection criteria are exacting. Many students who areregistered on the programme cannot ultimately be offered a place.
Studying abroad in this way is no soft option but it is a very rewarding experience, as those students whohave done it confirm.
Related LinksThe year abroad on page 109The year abroad on page 109
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Professional SkillsIn addition to its own core technical knowledge and skills, every profession shares a common set of‘transferable’ skills ranging from communication and teamwork to professional ethics. These are taught in athread which runs throughout the core programme and has links to many teaching and learning activities.
Technical writing skills
ME1 Experimental Reporting Skills teaches the writing of a standard-pattern technical report —along with the recognition and treatment of experimental errors and uncertainty — through a lab-basedcase study involving risk and safety issues.
Oral presentation skills
ME2 Technical Presentation Skills teaches the basics of a Powerpoint-type presentation throughindividual preparation and delivery of a 10-minute talk on a theme chosen from a closed list.
Teamwork skills
You will begin to exercise teamwork skills with a ‘warm-up’ exercise before the ME1 programmeeven begins and will further exercise them during ME1 and ME2 Design and Manufacture. Theunderlying theory of group dynamics and organisations is treated in ME2 Management and Businessfor Engineers; students then tackle the main Design Make and Test Project in ME3.
Engineering Ethics
After ME1 Experimental Reporting Skills has introduced the ethical dimension of engineeringthrough that of Scientific Ethics. You will then be faced in the ME3 DMT module with a half-daybusiness game, delivered by Shell International, presenting corporate social responsibility issues in theextraction of crude oil in a fictional foreign state.
Coping with stressStress — an adverse reaction to excessive pressure from work and your environment — affects many ofus, staff included. Coping with it effectively is an essential life skill, and learning to do so will be a valuablepart of your education. The College offers extensive help.
Support is on hand at a number of levels.
The workload at Imperial is high, and is likely to be a major factor in how you feel — especially, of course,as exams approach. If you are struggling, talk to your personal tutor first. Both the Academic Tutor and theSenior Tutor can help you to untangle the work and personal factors on you.
Remember: Don’t leave things too late! Seek help before things get on top of you: there's nothingto be ashamed of in doing so.
Exams, of course, are stress concentration factor number one. The Health Centre and Student CouncellingService offer a wide range of resources to manage exam stress and anxiety, including even generalguidance on revision and study techniques. It also runs Exam Stress Workshops from November onwards,allocating places on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Chapter
5Assessment and feedback
Topics:
• Coursework• Plagiarism• Feedback to students• Grades and numerical marks
for exams and coursework• Moderation• The Dean’s list• Student prizes and awards
The qualifications you are studying for are widely envied, and widelyrespected by employers. We work hard to maintain the fairness,accuracy and rigour of the assessment system which underpins themand you must work hard to earn them — but there is no set ‘pass rate’and every student is capable of getting a good degree.
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CourseworkThe purpose of coursework is to reinforce lecture material and to develop your skills in laboratory work,computing, design etc.. Most coursework is assessed, and contributes towards your degree.
Coursework exercises include lab reports, project reports, computing exercises and progress tests whichare completed and handed in during the year. Each piece of coursework will have a specified submissiondate, set in advance and published in the module description. This submission date is a hard deadline:work submitted after that date may be marked to provide feedback, but you will not be given any credit forit.
Warning: Being awarded zero marks for a major coursework item due to late submission couldlead, in the worst case, to a lower degree classification or even total failure.
For many assignments you will need to submit an item of individually authored work, which will beassessed and will count towards your degree. You will be required to declare sole authorship of every suchitem, and plagiarism is taken extremely seriously.
Warning: Do not under any circumstances use any copied or pirated coursework, or allow yourwork to be copied by others.
The College treats such cheating on coursework exercises exactly the same way as cheating inexaminations. If any student is suspected of cheating, of attempting to cheat or of assisting someone elseto cheat, the facts will be reported to the College. If found to have done so, s/he may in consequence bedisqualified from all future examinations of the Imperial College.
Length of coursework submissionsThe Department has imposed limits on the submission of coursework. The limit will be clearly stated oneach coursework and will take the form of a word limit or a page limit, chosen by the course leader.
Reasons for limiting the length of coursework submissions
Limits have been imposed on the length of coursework submissions to...
• encourage clarity and conciseness in writing.• ensure fairness between all students completing the same piece of coursework.• manage overall student workload.• facilitate the provision of quality and consistency of feedback.
Information provided with the assignment
For each piece of coursework the following information will be issued with the assignment details:
Either:
A word count limit
or,
A page limit (using a minimum of 12 point sans serif font (e.g. Arial), 1.5 line spacing and 2.54cm for allmargins).
Attention: In all cases, what is included in the limit will be stated (everything except references/bibliography unless stated otherwise).
Caution: Coursework assignments may have different limits for different sections (e.g. an abstractwritten on a separate page). This will be clearly stated in the coursework description.
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Information to be provided by the student when submitting
On the title (first) page of any submitted coursework the page length or word count must be clearly stated(together with the limit that applies). All pages should be numbered. If requested a student must providethe coursework in an electronic format which enables the word count to be checked.
PenaltiesA marker will read and provide a mark for work submitted to, and not beyond, the limit set.
If a marker considers that the word limit has been breached, but cannot verify this from the submittedwork, the UG office will be asked to contact the student to provide an electronic copy which can easily bechecked.
Attention: Failure to provide an electronic copy if requested for checking of word count will resultin the mark given being capped at the pass mark.
Caution: Misrepresentation of word count/page limit will result in the mark given being capped atthe pass mark and possible investigation for cheating.
ME3 Project Report LimitsBoth ME3 projects are subject to submission length limits.
Individual Literature Research Project Report: 8000 word limit (not including references), which is approx.20 pages, 4 ECTS (counts for 100 % of marks), individual.
DMT Final Report: Page max 80; 40-60, ECTS 14 (counts for approx. 50 % of marks), group (3-5).
ME4 Individual Project Report LimitThe ME4 individual project is subject to a submission length limit.
Individual Project Report: Page max 50; 20-40 fine, ECTS 14 (counts for 60 % of marks), individual.
PlagiarismPlagiarism is the presentation of another person’s thoughts, words or images and diagrams as though theywere your own. It is extremely important to understand exactly what this means before you submit your firstitem of work for assessment, because the penalties for plagiarism are very severe.
When you graduate from this Department with an MEng degree you will be a few steps away fromChartered status in a profession. We are trusted to ensure that you have not only the knowledge and skillsbut also the ethical standards which you need to deserve that status. For this reason, and because theinternet offers such free access to information, the College treats plagiarism and cheating offences veryseriously indeed.
Within the first week of term you will hear a lecture on plagiarism by a representative of the College Library.Attendance at this lecture is compulsory.
The department uses the plagiarism detection site TurnItIn both to filter electronic submissions ofcoursework and to check electronic duplicates of printed submissions. If any significant level of plagiarismis detected in any submission, the best possible outcome will be a mark of zero.
Related LinksLibrary information on plagiarismplagiarism.org information site, provided by TurnitinTurnItIn websitePolicy and procedures on plagiarism and cheatingLibrary information on plagiarismplagiarism.org information site, provided by TurnitinTurnItIn websitePolicy and procedures on plagiarism and cheating
| Assessment and feedback | 55
Feedback to studentsThe principal objectives of setting coursework are to assess your progress and to help you improve it.Unless your work could hardly be better (or is too poor to deserve the effort), you can expect explicit andtimely guidance from the marker on areas to work on — and you should aim to act on it.
The form of feedback will vary widely, depending on the nature of the submission. A common form is anitemised list of criteria with a tick-box grade for each, along with some written indication of the reason forcredit being lost.
Every effort is made to return marked assessments as quickly as possible, and certainly before thefeedback is needed to guide a subsequent submission.
Note: Unless otherwise specified, you should expect marked coursework to be returned within 14days of the submission deadline: if this hasn't happened speak to your year rep, who can makeenquiries on your behalf.
Grades and numerical marks for exams and courseworkEvery department at Imperial assesses undergraduate examinations and coursework submissions on thesame scale of correspondence between percentage mark, letter grade A to E and degree honours class.
All grades and numerical marks issued during the academic year are provisional: they are issued toprovide feedback and to provide an indication of progress. Final marks are awarded only after work hasbeen moderated. Ultimately these marks, appropriately weighted, will be used (perhaps after furtherdiscussion and moderation at a meeting of the internal and external examiners) to determine which degreeclass is awarded — so there is therefore also a correspondence between mark and degree class.
These correspondences are shown the Table below.
Gradeletter
…corresponds to mark: …and to degree class:
A* % ≥85
A 70 ≤ % < 85First class honours
B 60 ≤ % < 70 Upper second class honours
C 50 ≤ % < 60 Lower second class honours
D 40 ≤ % < 50 Third class honours
E <40 Not up to honours level
ModerationME3 DMT, ME3 Literature Research and ME4 Individual project reports contribute significantly to thefinal degree mark. All are independently double marked, and a special procedure is used to reconciledifferences between the first and second markers.
Because the projects which are subject to second marking are so diverse, independent assessorssometimes award significantly different marks. This is especially true of the individual project final report,which also serves to assess how well the student has explained his/her work to someone who can beexpected to be knowledgeable about the general field but not about the particular topic.
The moderation process is intended to ensure fair and accurate marking and to resolve discrepancies inproject report marks between the supervisor and the independent marker.
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1. If the discrepancy in marks is less than 10 percentage points, the two marks are averaged andmoderation is unnecessary.
2. Where the discrepancy is equal to, or greater than 10 percentage points, the supervisor and theindependent marker are invited to:
• Discuss the discrepancy; and• Agree a single mark and notify the course leader of it by email. For the record, specific justifications
must be recorded for the change.3. If no single mark can be agreed by a prescribed date, the student’s report and copies of all marksheets
are sent to a Moderator, who will recommend a mark to the Moderation Panel.4. A Moderation Panel is formed, considers, and decides a final mark for:
a. These disputed cases;b. Reports by students identified as being potentially on degree class borderlines; andc. Reports originally given unusually high or low marks.
The panel also arbitrates on marks requested to compensate for ‘Special Difficulties’. Individualcases are carefully chosen to be considered by ‘disinterested parties’ excluding — for example — thestudent’s personal tutor.
5. After the panel meeting the course leader forwards the recommended project marks, and minutes of thepanel meeting, to the Examination Officer.
The Dean’s listBecause Imperial graduates compete in an international market, Imperial has matched the USA practiceof recognising the top 10% of A-graded students in each year on a ‘Dean’s list’ — and marking thisachievement on the transcript of graduating students.
The conditions are:
1. Achieving an overall mark of 70% or greater during the previous 12 months, and2. Being placed within the top 10% (rounded up) of students in their cohort — e.g., of their year and
programme.
Student prizes and awardsVarious bequests, donors and sponsors (including the Department itself) have funded annual prizes tostudents for special achievement. These are awarded at an informal ceremony in the Department, to whichparents are invited, on Graduation Day.
ME1 student prizes and awardsVarious bequests, donors and sponsors (including the Department itself) have funded annual prizes tostudents for special achievement. These are awarded at an informal ceremony in the Department, to whichparents are invited, on Graduation Day.
Table 2: Annual awards offered
Award Citation and value Notes
Frank Turner WilsonFirst Year Prize
Three prizes, each up to the value of £500, forannual award to the most outstanding studentin the first year of the undergraduate course inMechanical Engineering. The awards to take intoaccount academic achievement, practical abilitiesand contribution to departmental activities.
ME1
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ME2 student prizes and awardsVarious bequests, donors and sponsors (including the Department itself) have funded annual prizes tostudents for special achievement. These are awarded at an informal ceremony in the Department, to whichparents are invited, on Graduation Day.
Table 3: Annual awards offered
Award Citation and value Notes
C F Rae Griffin BookPrize
For annual award to a second year undergraduatestudent in the Department of MechanicalEngineering for excellence in practical coursework. In making recommendations, Departmentsare asked to bear in mind that the objectiveof the prize is to recognise excellence in thepractical coursework — i.e. a real flair for practicalengineering.
ME2
Frank Turner WilsonSecond Year Prize
Three prizes, each up to the value of £500, forannual award to the most outstanding student inthe second year of the undergraduate course inMechanical Engineering. The awards to take intoaccount academic achievement, practical abilitiesand contribution to departmental activities.
ME2
Frederic Barnes WaldronAward of the Institutionof Mechanical Engineers
For annual award to the best overall student inMechanical Engineering who has completed atleast two years of an accredited degree programmeand who is an affiliate member of the Institution ofMechanical Engineering. Value £200.
ME2
National Power Prize inMechanical Engineering
For annual award to the best overall student at theend of the second year. Value £100.
ME2
Neil Watson MemorialPrize
For annual award to up to four undergraduatestudents in the second year of any course inMechanical Engineering for excellence in oralcommunication of technical information. Value £100each.
ME2
Sir Bruce WhiteLaboratory Prize inMechanical Engineering
For annual award to the undergraduate student inMechanical Engineering with the most meritoriousperformance on the laboratory course in the secondyear. Value £100.
ME2
Improvers Prize A Departmental award to the undergraduate studentin Mechanical Engineering who has shown greatestimprovement in the second year. Value £50.
ME2
ME3 student prizes and awardsVarious bequests, donors and sponsors (including the Department itself) have funded annual prizes tostudents for special achievement. These are awarded at an informal ceremony in the Department, to whichparents are invited, on Graduation Day.
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Table 4: Annual awards offered
Award Citation and value Notes
Frank Turner WilsonThird Year Prize
Three prizes, each up to the value of £500, forannual award to the most outstanding studentin the third year of the undergraduate course inMechanical Engineering. The awards to take intoaccount academic achievement, practical abilitiesand contribution to departmental activities.
ME3
Governors’ BEng Prize inMechanical Engineering
For annual award to the student of greatest meritin the final undergraduate year of the BEng course.Value £100.
ME3
Renishaw Prize For annual award to the undergraduate student onthe four year course in Mechanical Engineering whoproduces the best project during the third year ofthe course. Value £100 each.
ME3: normally one prizeawarded to each studentin best DMT projectgroup
Mechanical EngineeringStudent Centenary Prize
For annual award to the undergraduate student whois adjudged to have submitted the most meritoriouswork in the third or final year. Value £200.
ME3–4
ME4 student prizes and awardsVarious bequests, donors and sponsors (including the Department itself) have funded annual prizes tostudents for special achievement. These are awarded at an informal ceremony in the Department, to whichparents are invited, on Graduation Day.
Table 5: Annual awards offered
Award Citation and value Notes
Mechanical EngineeringStudent Centenary Prize
For annual award to the undergraduate student whois adjudged to have submitted the most meritoriouswork in the third or final year. Value £200.
ME3–4
Bramwell Medal For annual award to the student at the top of theFinal year class list in Mechanical Engineering.Medal.
ME4
Governors’ MEngPrize in MechanicalEngineering
For annual award to the student of greatest merit inthe final undergraduate year of the MEng course.Value £100.
ME4
Henry Ford II ScholarAward in MechanicalEngineering
For annual award to the student with the bestacademic record based on the final first degreeexaminations in Mechanical Engineering; £1000to be awarded to the student at the end of his/herdegree course, and the remaining £1500 to bemade available to the department for allocationto the same student for an approved academicpurpose.
ME4
Institution of MechanicalEngineers Prize
For annual award to the student in the final yearof an accredited degree course who completesan outstanding research, development or designproject in Mechanical Engineering. Value £100.
ME4
Chapter
6Examinations and progression
Topics:
• Progression• Revision for exams• Coping with stress• Examinations• Mitigating circumstances for
assessment• Examination feedback• Grades and numerical marks
for exams and coursework• Getting your results• Supplementary qualifying
tests (SQTs)• Re-sitting the year• The Dean’s list
The qualifications you are studying for are widely envied, and widelyrespected by employers. We work hard to maintain the fairness,accuracy and rigour of the assessment system which underpins themand you must work hard to earn them — but there is no set ‘pass rate’and every student is capable of getting a good degree.
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ProgressionMechanical Engineering MEng programmes consist of four successive, one-year parts. You must pass theassessments for each of them in order to progress to the next.
The four parts of the programme, and the cohorts of students registered on them, are referred to as ME1to ME4 (you will also still hear some staff use the older terms ‘1M’–‘4M’). Your progress will be assessedeach year by a mixture of examinations and coursework. The ME1 result is qualifying-only, determiningonly whether you proceed or not. The ME2, ME3 and ME4 marks contribute 1/4, 3/8 and 3/8 of the total forthe degree.
Full details are specified in the Scheme for the Award of Honours; this scheme changes slightly fromyear to year, but the version which applies to you is the one which was in force the year you initiallyregistered.
When all assessments for the year have been marked and the marks collated, a series of meetings —collectively known as the Examiners’ Meeting — reviews the results and allocates an overall pass codeto each student. For Parts 2-4 these results are passed to Registry, which records them for release tostudents in early July.
The large majority of students pass first time. Candidates who do not satisfy the examiners, either in thesummer examinations or after Supplementary Qualifying Tests, will be asked to withdraw from the Collegepermanently.
Related LinksSchemes for the award of Honours on page 114Supplementary qualifying tests (SQTs) on page 64
Revision for examsMost examined modules provide a number of past exam papers, with answers, on Blackboard. Theseprovide a useful guide for paper and question style, but cannot be relied on to guide your revision. Definingwhat you must be able to do in an exam is the job of the intended learning outcomes given in the moduledescription.
Although students are generally well practiced in exams and most already have their own strategies, theImperial Success Guide site provides several useful tips on revision. Two are especially important:
1. Past papers should be used to study question style and to practice under ‘exam conditions’. However,relying heavily on past papers is a bad idea: your goal must be deep learning to underpin futurelearning and to avoid being thrown by a question posed from a fresh angle.
2. Don’t just try to learn the material provided by heart: engage with it and re-shape it in a way whichmakes sense to you as an individual.
Exam stress is an intrinsic part of assessment, and learning to cope with it is an intrinsic part of thelearning experience. Even if you never sit another exam after leaving Imperial, professional life will bringyou many examination-like experiences. Excellent advice on coping with exam stress — and further adviceon revision strategies — is provided on the College Health Centre website.
Related LinksThe Imperial Success Guide: everything you need to support the transition from school touniversity
Revising for combined subjects in ME1-2In ME1 and ME2, related subjects in Thermofluids and in Solid Mechanics are grouped together. However,you cannot “write off” any examination against another in its group for which you expect a higher mark. Youmust study, and revise, to master every subject.
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The knowledge and skills learned in ME1 and ME2 form the foundations of your education as an engineer.They span a range of subjects, but some are clustered in groups — Solid Mechanics and Thermofluids —which share fundamental concepts.
Our published Schemes for the Award of Honours specify that in order to progress from ME1 into ME2and from ME2 into ME3, you must satisfy the examiners in all examinations. You can recover from narrowfailure in one examination by further study over summer and a successful Supplementary Qualifying Test(SQT or re-sit) in September.
In both ME1 and ME2, some of these core subjects are aggregated. The idea of an aggregatedexamination pass is that if you achieve marginally below 40% in (for example) ME1 Stress Analysis youcan still pass the ME1 Solid Mechanics examination overall and progress as of right if your Mechanicsmark sufficiently exceeds 40%. This aggregation recognises that the individual subjects share manyfundamental concepts — as you will remember from the first few weeks.
However, because the individual examinations assess core subjects, the Examining Board will notallow you to progress automatically if you demonstrate so little mastery of one (e.g. Stress Analysis orMechanics) that they consider you to be at high risk of failing the following year. The minimum requireddegree of mastery in individual subject examinations is assessed by the Examining Board on a year byyear basis.
Warning: Don’t abandon any Solid Mechanics or Thermofluids subject in favour of a relatedsubject which in which you excel! In ME1 and ME2, you must study to pass every exam.
Related LinksSchemes for the award of Honours on page 114
Coping with stressStress — an adverse reaction to excessive pressure from work and your environment — affects many ofus, staff included. Coping with it effectively is an essential life skill, and learning to do so will be a valuablepart of your education. The College offers extensive help.
Support is on hand at a number of levels.
The workload at Imperial is high, and is likely to be a major factor in how you feel — especially, of course,as exams approach. If you are struggling, talk to your personal tutor first. Both the Academic Tutor and theSenior Tutor can help you to untangle the work and personal factors on you.
Remember: Don’t leave things too late! Seek help before things get on top of you: there's nothingto be ashamed of in doing so.
Exams, of course, are stress concentration factor number one. The Health Centre and Student CouncellingService offer a wide range of resources to manage exam stress and anxiety, including even generalguidance on revision and study techniques. It also runs Exam Stress Workshops from November onwards,allocating places on a first-come, first-served basis.
ExaminationsMost written examinations take place early in the summer term. There is no set ‘failure rate’ and thereforeno reason why every candidate should not pass at the first attempt.
How papers are written
Exam papers are written and checked, both internally and externally, by a process which begins severalmonths before you sit them. Each paper is first independently solved (usually by the Associate Lecturer),then reviewed ‘cold’ by a small internal committee of academics in the same subject area. It is thensent out for review by one of the two External Examiners. These are highly-regarded academics from
| Examinations and progression | 62
outside Imperial, appointed by the University for a period of four years, who monitor the remainder of theassessment process — culminating in a visit for the final Examiners’ Meeting.
Sitting the exam
Most examinations take place in the double-glazed and air-conditioned drawing offices on levels 6–7.
Important: You must carry your College identity card, so that your CID number can be noted andyour identity checked.
You will be able to take in pens, pencils, erasers and rulers but, for a Closed Book examination, nothingelse. You will be provided, if necessary, with:
1. The Handbook of Data and Formulae edition issued to you: you cannot use your own copy, but youshould learn your way around it
2. A basic scientific calculator — you will not be allowed to take your own, or any peripheral equipment.The Casio FX–83ES provided has all the usual scientific functions. If you need to familiarise yourselfwith this model, the UG Office will issue one on overnight loan (don’t leave this until the last-minuterush).
College examination conditions and rules — e.g. the absolute rule against speaking to neighbours —are stated in the Instructions to candidates for examinations and are similar to those for any other publicexams.
Important: The instructions on the front page of the answer book — fill in a list of questionsattempted, start each question on a new page etc. — are there for your protection. Read and obeythem!
Choice of questionsBecause core courses lay the foundations for an engineering education, they do not offer a choice ofquestions. Elective modules usually do. If you answer more questions than you were asked to, only thosemost highly marked within the rules will count towards the total.
Related LinksRegistry instructions to exam candidates
Open-book examsSome examinations, especially at M level, are ‘open-book’. To encourage appropriate preparation, thequantity of material which candidates can take into the exam room is limited.
The rubric for each examination papers is reproduced in the corresponding Module Descriptor and forsome modules it contains the phrase This is an OPEN BOOK Examination. For these exams you can takeinto the examination room, in addition to those items permitted for a Closed Book exam, the following:
• One A4 sized ring binder, no more than 75 mm thick and containing written and/or printed material only,and
• A maximum of two textbooks.
Mitigating circumstances for assessmentCircumstances beyond your control may prevent you from submitting coursework on time, or may seriouslyaffect your performance in an exam. If you want us to take these circumstances into account, you must letus know the details as soon as possible.
Download and complete the form in full and return it to the UG Office. Please give as many details aspossible and provide evidence where possible: College policy requires that any details you provide remainconfidential as far as possible.
Important: For minor items of coursework, submit only Appendix 2 of the form: for these, nomedical certification is required.
| Examinations and progression | 63
The College Health Centre can certify illness only for absence from College lasting more than one week, orabsence from an Examination.
Submit the form as soon as you can.
Warning: To be considered, the Mitigating Circumstances form must be received within 5 workingdays of the relevant examination or coursework submission date.
Related LinksMitigating Circumstances form (docx)Exams and religious obligations (pdf)
Examination feedbackAs soon as you submit an exam script for marking, it becomes the property of the College and yourenounce any right to access it: in fact, allowing you such access would contravene the Data ProtectionAct. Arrangements can be made (on payment of a fee) to access any markers’ comments, but moreefficient ways have been devised to provide appropriate feedback.
Most students are well practised at written examinations, and get the results they expect. Sometimes this isnot the case and — even more rarely — the surprise is a unwelcome one.
Important: There is no automatic right of appeal against the marks awarded at examination.Students may only appeal against exam results on the grounds of administrative or clerical errorand papers will not be remarked.
The fear most commonly expressed by students is that a question, a page or an entire answer bookhas been overlooked. Because the nature of written scripts makes this possibility a real one, it has beenvirtually eliminated by straightforward, systematic checking procedures.
Another common concern, where a student accepts that s/he has arrived at the wrong answer, is theattribution of ‘method marks’. Awarding marks for intermediate results is expected: a marking schemewhich does so makes marking a much easier task. Each paper is marked by two independent examiners,and the first is expected to alert the second that the student is proceeding correctly after an earlier error, bymeans of a comment on the script such as “Follows”.
Students have the right (on payment of a fee) under the Data Protection Act to sight of any such writtencomments or annotations. Request must be made to the College Secretariat, with payment of a fee,and annotations will then be transcribed to a separate document for access under carefully supervisedconditions.
Since this method offers no real benefit, each department has pursued an alternative feedback methodwhich suits its subject. Our Examination Feedback document has been required for each examined coursefor many years and is now published. It provides a statistical breakdown of the response rate, averagemarks and standard deviations for each question and comments, for future examiners, on questioneffectiveness and student performance.
Grades and numerical marks for exams and courseworkEvery department at Imperial assesses undergraduate examinations and coursework submissions on thesame scale of correspondence between percentage mark, letter grade A to E and degree honours class.
All grades and numerical marks issued during the academic year are provisional: they are issued toprovide feedback and to provide an indication of progress. Final marks are awarded only after work hasbeen moderated. Ultimately these marks, appropriately weighted, will be used (perhaps after furtherdiscussion and moderation at a meeting of the internal and external examiners) to determine which degreeclass is awarded — so there is therefore also a correspondence between mark and degree class.
These correspondences are shown the Table below.
| Examinations and progression | 64
Gradeletter
…corresponds to mark: …and to degree class:
A* % ≥85
A 70 ≤ % < 85First class honours
B 60 ≤ % < 70 Upper second class honours
C 50 ≤ % < 60 Lower second class honours
D 40 ≤ % < 50 Third class honours
E <40 Not up to honours level
Getting your resultsAfter the Final Examiners’ Meeting, results for the session are made available — first as grades and later,via Registry, as authorised percentages.
Table 6: Key dates for the publication of examination results
Event Date Time
SQT/resit decisions emailed Friday, 1 July, 2016 —
SQT/resit exam week begins Tuesday, 30 August, 2016 —
If you are a sponsored student and need your exam results sent to your sponsor, please submit yoursponsorship details by the end of Term Week 35 by visiting this site by clicking respond to this survey.
1. If you will be required to re-take the year or to sit one or more papers in September, you will beinformed by email. If you have not been so notified by the end of the working day you can assume thatyou have passed.The timetable for re-sits and SQTs will be made available during July.
2. Overall result grades will be posted on Blackboard (in the UG Course Information section) and, by CIDnumber, on the notice board outside the UG office.
3. Those who have passed the year will not receive a letter of confirmation, but detailed course marks willbe released via Student e-Service by the end of July.
Supplementary qualifying tests (SQTs)If you pass coursework but marginally fail a qualifying exam, you may be offered an SQT in that subject.If successful you proceed directly into the next year of the course. However the ‘pass’ requirements for anSQT are higher than for the main exam, and the marks carried forward may be capped.
Your exam result may be classed as deferred, meaning that your summer exam results alone did notconvince the examiners that you were ready to progress to the next part of the programme. The mostcommon reason is a marginal fail in one subject. In this case you will be offered the chance to sit aSupplementary Qualifying Test — in effect, a second examination — in September.
Note: SQTs must be taken at Imperial College London: the College cannot make arrangements forthem to be taken abroad.
You must use this opportunity to study the subject intensively over summer.
Attention: Because some students take the September paper as their main examination thecourse syllabus — and all teaching materials made available to support it, including past papers —remain frozen until it has run.
| Examinations and progression | 65
Marks gained at SQTs are not added to your total for the year unless your examination aggregate wasbelow 40% —in which case only sufficient marks are added to bring your examination aggregate toprecisely 40%.
In ME3, SQTs are offered to MEng students only in core subjects, and in the final year of your programmethey are not offered at all.
Re-sitting the yearIf you fail to progress from any year of the programme and have to repeat it, you will be required towithdraw either (depending on the conditions) until summer term begins, or until the next set of year-endexams.
Although all of your coursework marks are carried forward from the year you failed, re-sitting end-of-yearexams is a major challenge. Since you can only do this once, you must succeed — and many do. It isdepartmental policy to support you in any way we can as long as our efforts do not disadvantage studentswho are ‘in attendance’.
Important: As soon as you have received definitive examination results and made outline plans forthe year ahead, you must discuss study/revision plans with the Senior Tutor, the Academic Tutorand your Personal Tutor.
During the following session, you will have access to:
1. Current material on Blackboard, including newly posted material2. The Senior Tutor, Academic Tutor and Personal Tutor for advice3. The UG Office for course administration queries.
With the explicit agreement of the Senior Tutor and/or Academic Tutor, you may be permitted:
1. Attendance at a reasonable number of lectures — this will depend on the total number of re-sittingstudents, their demand and the size of the timetabled lecture theatre
2. Reasonable access to computer rooms — this will depend on the total number of re-sitting students,their demand and resource availability.
You will not normally be allowed access to:
1. Coursework elements, e.g. laboratory classes or workshop courses2. Coursework based module classes, e.g. Computing3. Regularly timetabled tutorials.
The Dean’s listBecause Imperial graduates compete in an international market, Imperial has matched the USA practiceof recognising the top 10% of A-graded students in each year on a ‘Dean’s list’ — and marking thisachievement on the transcript of graduating students.
The conditions are:
1. Achieving an overall mark of 70% or greater during the previous 12 months, and2. Being placed within the top 10% (rounded up) of students in their cohort — e.g., of their year and
programme.
| ME1 course information | 66
Chapter
7ME1 course information
Topics:
• The 1st Year Organiser• Structure of the ME1-2
programme• Key dates and attendance in
ME1• Managing your time and
workload• Progress tests• Clinic tutorials• Books• Foreign language classes• Imperial Horizons• ME1 coursework marks
distribution• Mapping of ME1 modules
onto ECTS elements• ME1 student prizes and
awards• The Dean’s list
The first two years of your programme lay the foundations for yourtraining as a professional engineer.
| ME1 course information | 67
The 1st Year Organiser
Dr Maria Charalambides
Room 516
Email [email protected]
Structure of the ME1-2 programmeThe programme consists of a number of self-contained modules on different subjects, most of which run allyear and are examined during summer term.
The structure of the first-year course is shown in Table 7: ME1-2 modules on page 67. Most modulesrun through the entire academic year and will be examined in May. Each will consist of a mixture oflectures and tutorials, a progress test and perhaps laboratory, design and/or project work.
Table 7: ME1-2 modules
ME1 module ME2 module Subject group
Experimental Reporting Skills Technical Presentation Skills
Management and Business forEngineers
Design and Manufacture Design and Manufacture
Design and Projects
Mechatronics Mechatronics
DynamicsControl
Mechanics
Stress Analysis Stress Analysis
Materials Materials
Solid Mechanics
Thermodynamics Thermodynamics
Heat Transfer
Fluid Mechanics Fluid Mechanics
Thermofluids
Computing Computing
Mathematics Mathematics
Maths andComputing
| ME1 course information | 68
A detailed module descriptor for each of these modules can be found both on the web and on Blackboard— where course materials are also available.
Key dates and attendance in ME1The College has both a duty of care towards its students, and regulations to ensure that they follow theprescribed programme of studies. For these and other reasons there are a number of points during theyear at which your absence will be reported to the Senior Tutor.
ME1
Attendance is monitored at:
• All study group tutorials• Weekly personal tutorials• Lab sessions• Workshop assignments.
All coursework submissions are registered.
Table 8: Key dates this session: ME1
Event Date Time
Autumn term begins Monday, 5 October, 2015 —
Autumn term ends Friday, 18 December, 2015 —
Spring term begins Saturday, 9 January, 2016 —
Spring term ends Wednesday, 23 March, 2016 —
Summer term begins Saturday, 23 April, 2016 —
ME1-2 exams begin Monday, 16 May, 2016 —
ME1-2 exams end Friday, 27 May, 2016 —
Workshop course 1 Monday, 6 June, 2016 —
Workshop course 2 Thursday, 9 June, 2016 —
Workshop course 3 Tuesday, 14 June, 2016 —
Workshop course 4 Friday, 17 June, 2016 —
Workshop course 5 Wednesday, 22 June, 2016 —
Summer term ends Friday, 24 June, 2016 —
Attention: For all coursework submission deadlines, key dates and late-breaking news associatedwith specific modules, please check the calendar on the corresponding Blackboard page.
Caution: You are required to attend College until the end of session because the ExternalExaminers may wish to interview you during the last week. You should therefore avoid anycommitment — other than those forming part of the course — which could prevent you attendingCollege during term-time.
Related LinksTerm dates for next two years
| ME1 course information | 69
Managing your time and workloadOne reason why engineering graduates are highly sought-after outside the profession is that anengineering education provides excellent training for self-organisation, time management and teamworking. Like any form of intensive training, developing these skills will stretch you — especially during thefirst two years.
The Imperial Success Guide site provides excellent general advice on dividing your time between workand leisure, and finding an overall work/life balance. Within the course workload you will often find yourselfhaving to time-share and multi-task, perhaps balancing time and effort between coursework submissionswhile keeping up with lecture courses.
This is how professional life is, and learning these skills through practice will give you a competitiveadvantage.
Tip: Reflecting on and recounting the workload management challenges you met and overcameis one of the subjects which employment interviewers will find much more interesting than (forexample) the marks you gained in Maths.
1. The description for each module (posted at the head of the Blackboard page) shows an ECTS rating.Multiply this by 25 to get a realistic estimate, in hours, of the total time you should spend on themodule.
2. An academic year is equivalent to 60 ECTS. About 1500 hours of work should be enough to progressfrom one year of the programme to the next. This works out to about 50h per term week, but someterm time hours cannot be used effectively and you should expect to work during winter and springvacations.
3. To make every hour count for examined subjects, use your learning opportunities. Try hard to followlectures even if you don’t keep up to date with problem sheets. But attend tutorials even if you are waybehind: your tutors will understand. They won’t take it personally if you are stuck on Sheet 1 — they arethere to unstick you.
4. To maintain the reputation and accreditation of your degree, we already apportioned your 60 ECTSappropriately between subjects and activities. We took into account that coursework is assessed onaggregate, as are some pairs of examined subjects.
Tip: You can rely on the way we have designed the balance of workload: ration your own timeaccordingly!
If you consistently work less than the recommended time you will probably fall behind and the work will geton top of you.
If you find that you have to spend more than the amount suggested just to keep up with the work youmay be attempting to do too much or you may be studying inefficiently; you should discuss this with yourpersonal tutor.
Progress testsExamined modules in ME1–2 feature a progress test which counts towards your total coursework mark.These tests are designed to motivate you and maintain the pace, and to provide an early warning systemfor your Personal Tutor and the Senior Tutor.
Although they are not held under formal examination conditions, these short (typically 50 minute) tests arevery important.
ME1 progress tests are run during the last week of autumn term — an integrated Master’s degreeprogramme has a lot to achieve in four years, and you will need to pick up speed quickly. Satisfactoryperformance is important and the test results are taken seriously. We will use them to assess whether youare using lectures, private study and tutorials effectively and even of whether you have chosen the rightprogramme.
| ME1 course information | 70
Warning: If you comprehensively fail progress tests you will be deemed as having madeunsatisfactory academic progress, will be ineligible for the end of year exams and will be required towithdraw from the College.
ME2 progress tests take place at the beginning of spring term. The results will provide you with valuablesupport for self-assessment and ‘learning to learn’ but they are also reviewed carefully by the Senior Tutor.
Clinic tutorialsEach examined ME1-2 module normally ends with revision lectures supported by clinic tutorials — opentutorials staffed by subject-specialist tutors.
Clinic tutorials are aimed towards supporting topics introduced towards the end of the course, and issuesarising from past exam papers. At least the last three papers will be provided on the module Blackboardsite.
Caution: Don’t allow your revision to rely on past papers: they are provided as a guide for whatstyle and level to expect, not what questions to expect. Focus on the module learning outcomesand problem sheets and aim at understanding the material rather than memorising it.
BooksEach module specifies a list of books which you are recommended — and in a few cases required — topurchase.
The course description for each module gives a list of recommended books. Few of these are identified asessential for purchase. You should buy these few: the library holds additional copies but they are usuallybooked out, the loan period is short and you may need them for an urgent submission. Some of thesetextbooks will be suitable for more than one year and useful to keep as long term reference books. Moredetailed advice will be given during the first few lecture of each course.
Tip: In 2013-14 the Faculty of Engineering will be piloting a scheme for eBook access, probably toa single ME1 textbook. More details will be given as they are finalised.
Copies of recommended books may be purchased from the Blackwell’s bookshop which will be in theConcourse of the City and Guilds building during the first month of term. You will get details of this duringthe first week. There is also a Blackwell’s branch on the main walkway at the South Ken campus whereyou will be able to purchase the books you require.
Foreign language classesThe College runs intensive foreign language classes. If you are on a Year Abroad programme, rememberthat for certain foreign placements you should begin the relevant language course in your first year in orderto reach required level by fourth year.
Classes are given at the rate of 3 hours of classes per week, and will also require private study. This is abig commitment, not recommended for students on other Mechanical Engineering courses. Assessment oflanguage classes can contribute to the degree mark in ME3, but not in any other year.
If you want to study a foreign language at a less demanding rate, consider taking one of the many foreignlanguage evening classes on offer. These involve a class of about 2 hours one evening each week duringterm. There is a charge, but the Department will refund this for students who eventually do study abroad— provided that they get a report of satisfactory attendance. Naturally, this only applies to languages thatwould enable students to study abroad in one of the countries at which places are offered.
Note: As part of the Imperial Horizons programme, every ME1 student will have the opportunity oftaking a beginner-level course in one of eight different languages.
| ME1 course information | 71
Further information about language courses and how to register for them will be available at the beginningof term.
Imperial HorizonsThe Imperial Horizons programme offers UG1-2 students the opportunity to develop knowledge andskills beyond their core degree subject. There are courses on subjects including languages at variouslevels, humanities, business and global issues. The aims are to broaden undergraduate education, inspirecreativity and enhance professional impact.
In 2015-16, Imperial Horizons will be offered to all first and second years in autumn and spring Terms.
Key selling points are:
• Students develop a unique career edge. The courses are a selling point for employers, developingvaluable skills in communication, team-working and problem-solving, and promoting enhanced businessand organisational awareness.
• Improved student experience. The courses are designed to have maximum positive impact on studentexperience.
• Free and taught during scheduled teaching slots. All Departments have organised timetables to avoidthe scheduled Horizons slots (16.00-18.00 on Tuesday for UG1 and Monday for UG2). There are noadditional charges.
Courses run for one or two terms. Students who enrol on a one-term course are encouraged to use theother term for a second course.
Table 9: Dates for incoming 1st years in October 2015.
Event Date Time
Imperial Horizons enrolment opens Monday, 7 September, 2015 —
Imperial Horizons enrolment closes Monday, 12 October, 2015 17:00
Allocations confirmed Friday, 23 October, 2015 —
Register your course preferences on the Imperial Horizons website during Welcome Week, beforeenrollment closes.
Informal information sessions where you can meet some of the teaching and administrative team to findout more about the programme or a particular course will take place Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdayduring Welcome Week from 12-2pm, in the Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication (access viaLevel 3 Sherfield Building)
To find our more, visit the website: www.imperial.ac.uk/horizons.
ME1 coursework marks distributionIn ME1, all marks for coursework are aggregated into a single, large pass/fail element so that a studentwho fails the year needs only to resit examinations. The allocation and distribution of coursework markswithin each module is stated on the course description.
Table 10: Distribution of coursework marks in ME1
Module code Module Activity Marks Total
Matlab exercise 1 15ME1-HCPT Computing
Matlab exercise 2 15
| ME1 course information | 72
Module code Module Activity Marks Total
TOTAL 30
Group project report 30
Visual diary 10
CAD modelling 10
ME1-HDMF Design and Manufacture
TOTAL 50
Report 1 draft 05
Report 1 final 10
Log book 05
Abstract writing task 04
Writing assessment 04
ME1-HERS Experimental Reporting Skills
TOTAL 28
Progress test 04ME1-HMTH Mathematics
TOTAL 04
Progress test 04
Lab report 05
ME1-HFMX Fluid Mechanics
TOTAL 09
Progress test 04
Lab report 07
ME1-HTHD Thermodynamics
TOTAL 11
Progress test 04ME1-HMCX Mechanics
TOTAL 04
Progress test 04ME1-HSAN Stress Analysis
TOTAL 04
Progress test 04
Lab report 08
ME1-HMATL Materials
TOTAL 12
Progress test 04
In-lab assessments 1-4 14
ME1-HMTX Mechatronics
TOTAL 18
ME1 coursework TOTAL 170
Mapping of ME1 modules onto ECTS elementsAn ECTS element, — the smallest unit which a student can fail and re-take — is equivalent to a Registryunit of assessment. Since exchange students usually wish to transfer credit in modules rather than inRegistry units, there is a mapping between ME modules and the elements to which they contribute.
| ME1 course information | 73
The following tables show, for each ME1 module, the total ECTS value both as an item in itself (if passed,for example, both on examined and coursework assessments) and as a contributor to Registry units ofassessment (elements). If an element consists of just one module, there is no distinction and the elementtakes the code of that module; otherwise, the element code is distinguished by having no level descriptor‘H’ or ‘M’ following the hyphen.
Table 11: ME1 modules
ModuleModuleECTS
Distribution to ECTS element ME1-
DMF MTX SM MATL TF HMTH CW
ME1-hERS 2 — — — — — — 2
ME1-hDMF 10 5 — — — — — 5
ME1-hMTX 5.5 — 5 — — — — 0.5
ME1-hMCX 5.5 — — 5 — — — 0.5
ME1-hSAN 5.5 — — 5 — — — 0.5
ME1-hMATL 5.5 — — — 5 — — 0.5
ME1-hTHD 5.5 — — — — 5 — 0.5
ME1-hFMX 5.5 — — — — 5 — 0.5
ME1-hCPT 3 — — — — — — 3
ME1-hMTH 12 — — — — — 12 —
ME1-hMTHA 0 — — — — — — —
Total 60 5 5 10 5 10 12 13
ME1 student prizes and awardsVarious bequests, donors and sponsors (including the Department itself) have funded annual prizes tostudents for special achievement. These are awarded at an informal ceremony in the Department, to whichparents are invited, on Graduation Day.
Table 12: Annual awards offered
Award Citation and value Notes
Frank Turner WilsonFirst Year Prize
Three prizes, each up to the value of £500, forannual award to the most outstanding studentin the first year of the undergraduate course inMechanical Engineering. The awards to take intoaccount academic achievement, practical abilitiesand contribution to departmental activities.
ME1
The Dean’s listBecause Imperial graduates compete in an international market, Imperial has matched the USA practiceof recognising the top 10% of A-graded students in each year on a ‘Dean’s list’ — and marking thisachievement on the transcript of graduating students.
The conditions are:
| ME1 course information | 74
1. Achieving an overall mark of 70% or greater during the previous 12 months, and2. Being placed within the top 10% (rounded up) of students in their cohort — e.g., of their year and
programme.
Chapter
8ME2 course information
Topics:
• The 2nd Year Organiser• Structure of the ME1-2
programme• Key dates and attendance in
ME2• Managing your time and
workload• Progress tests• Clinic tutorials• Books• Foreign language classes• The year in industry• Imperial Horizons• ME2 coursework marks
distribution• Mapping of ME2 modules
onto ECTS elements• ME2 student prizes and
awards• The Dean’s list
The first two years of your programme lay the foundations for yourtraining as a professional engineer.
| ME2 course information | 76
The 2nd Year Organiser
Dr Guillermo Rein
Room 340
Email [email protected]
Structure of the ME1-2 programmeThe programme consists of a number of self-contained modules on different subjects, most of which run allyear and are examined during summer term.
The structure of the first-year course is shown in Table 13: ME1-2 modules on page 76. Most modulesrun through the entire academic year and will be examined in May. Each will consist of a mixture oflectures and tutorials, a progress test and perhaps laboratory, design and/or project work.
Table 13: ME1-2 modules
ME1 module ME2 module Subject group
Experimental Reporting Skills Technical Presentation Skills
Management and Business forEngineers
Design and Manufacture Design and Manufacture
Design and Projects
Mechatronics Mechatronics
DynamicsControl
Mechanics
Stress Analysis Stress Analysis
Materials Materials
Solid Mechanics
Thermodynamics Thermodynamics
Heat Transfer
Fluid Mechanics Fluid Mechanics
Thermofluids
Computing Computing
Mathematics Mathematics
Maths andComputing
| ME2 course information | 77
A detailed module descriptor for each of these modules can be found both on the web and on Blackboard— where course materials are also available.
Key dates and attendance in ME2The College has both a duty of care towards its students, and regulations to ensure that they follow theprescribed programme of studies. For these and other reasons there are a number of points during theyear at which your absence will be reported to the Senior Tutor.
ME2
Attendance is monitored at:
• All study group tutorials• Autumn DMF Design, Make and Test project• Fortnightly personal tutorials• Lab sessions• Workshop assignments.
All coursework submissions are registered.
Table 14: Key dates this session: ME2
Event Date Time
Autumn term begins Monday, 5 October, 2015 —
Autumn term ends Friday, 18 December, 2015 —
Spring term begins Saturday, 9 January, 2016 —
Spring term ends Wednesday, 23 March, 2016 —
Summer term begins Saturday, 23 April, 2016 —
ME1-2 exams begin Monday, 16 May, 2016 —
ME1-2 exams end Friday, 27 May, 2016 —
Summer term ends Friday, 24 June, 2016 —
Attention: For coursework submission deadlines, key dates and late-breaking news associatedwith specific modules, please check the calendar on the corresponding Blackboard page.
Caution: You are required to attend College until the end of session because the ExternalExaminers may wish to interview you during the last week. You should therefore avoid anycommitment — other than those forming part of the course — which could prevent you attendingCollege during term-time.
Related LinksTerm dates for next two years
Managing your time and workloadOne reason why engineering graduates are highly sought-after outside the profession is that anengineering education provides excellent training for self-organisation, time management and teamworking. Like any form of intensive training, developing these skills will stretch you — especially during thefirst two years.
| ME2 course information | 78
The Imperial Success Guide site provides excellent general advice on dividing your time between workand leisure, and finding an overall work/life balance. Within the course workload you will often find yourselfhaving to time-share and multi-task, perhaps balancing time and effort between coursework submissionswhile keeping up with lecture courses.
This is how professional life is, and learning these skills through practice will give you a competitiveadvantage.
Tip: Reflecting on and recounting the workload management challenges you met and overcameis one of the subjects which employment interviewers will find much more interesting than (forexample) the marks you gained in Maths.
1. The description for each module (posted at the head of the Blackboard page) shows an ECTS rating.Multiply this by 25 to get a realistic estimate, in hours, of the total time you should spend on themodule.
2. An academic year is equivalent to 60 ECTS. About 1500 hours of work should be enough to progressfrom one year of the programme to the next. This works out to about 50h per term week, but someterm time hours cannot be used effectively and you should expect to work during winter and springvacations.
3. To make every hour count for examined subjects, use your learning opportunities. Try hard to followlectures even if you don’t keep up to date with problem sheets. But attend tutorials even if you are waybehind: your tutors will understand. They won’t take it personally if you are stuck on Sheet 1 — they arethere to unstick you.
4. To maintain the reputation and accreditation of your degree, we already apportioned your 60 ECTSappropriately between subjects and activities. We took into account that coursework is assessed onaggregate, as are some pairs of examined subjects.
Tip: You can rely on the way we have designed the balance of workload: ration your own timeaccordingly!
If you consistently work less than the recommended time you will probably fall behind and the work will geton top of you.
If you find that you have to spend more than the amount suggested just to keep up with the work youmay be attempting to do too much or you may be studying inefficiently; you should discuss this with yourpersonal tutor.
Progress testsExamined modules in ME1–2 feature a progress test which counts towards your total coursework mark.These tests are designed to motivate you and maintain the pace, and to provide an early warning systemfor your Personal Tutor and the Senior Tutor.
Although they are not held under formal examination conditions, these short (typically 50 minute) tests arevery important.
ME1 progress tests are run during the last week of autumn term — an integrated Master’s degreeprogramme has a lot to achieve in four years, and you will need to pick up speed quickly. Satisfactoryperformance is important and the test results are taken seriously. We will use them to assess whether youare using lectures, private study and tutorials effectively and even of whether you have chosen the rightprogramme.
Warning: If you comprehensively fail progress tests you will be deemed as having madeunsatisfactory academic progress, will be ineligible for the end of year exams and will be required towithdraw from the College.
ME2 progress tests take place at the beginning of spring term. The results will provide you with valuablesupport for self-assessment and ‘learning to learn’ but they are also reviewed carefully by the Senior Tutor.
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Clinic tutorialsEach examined ME1-2 module normally ends with revision lectures supported by clinic tutorials — opentutorials staffed by subject-specialist tutors.
Clinic tutorials are aimed towards supporting topics introduced towards the end of the course, and issuesarising from past exam papers. At least the last three papers will be provided on the module Blackboardsite.
Caution: Don’t allow your revision to rely on past papers: they are provided as a guide for whatstyle and level to expect, not what questions to expect. Focus on the module learning outcomesand problem sheets and aim at understanding the material rather than memorising it.
BooksEach module specifies a list of books which you are recommended — and in a few cases required — topurchase.
The course description for each module gives a list of recommended books. Few of these are identified asessential for purchase. You should buy these few: the library holds additional copies but they are usuallybooked out, the loan period is short and you may need them for an urgent submission. Some of thesetextbooks will be suitable for more than one year and useful to keep as long term reference books. Moredetailed advice will be given during the first few lecture of each course.
Tip: In 2013-14 the Faculty of Engineering will be piloting a scheme for eBook access, probably toa single ME1 textbook. More details will be given as they are finalised.
Copies of recommended books may be purchased from the Blackwell’s bookshop which will be in theConcourse of the City and Guilds building during the first month of term. You will get details of this duringthe first week. There is also a Blackwell’s branch on the main walkway at the South Ken campus whereyou will be able to purchase the books you require.
Foreign language classesThe College runs intensive foreign language classes. If you are on a Year Abroad programme, rememberthat for certain foreign placements you should begin the relevant language course in your first year in orderto reach required level by fourth year.
Classes are given at the rate of 3 hours of classes per week, and will also require private study. This is abig commitment, not recommended for students on other Mechanical Engineering courses. Assessment oflanguage classes can contribute to the degree mark in ME3, but not in any other year.
If you want to study a foreign language at a less demanding rate, consider taking one of the many foreignlanguage evening classes on offer. These involve a class of about 2 hours one evening each week duringterm. There is a charge, but the Department will refund this for students who eventually do study abroad— provided that they get a report of satisfactory attendance. Naturally, this only applies to languages thatwould enable students to study abroad in one of the countries at which places are offered.
Note: As part of the Imperial Horizons programme, every ME1 student will have the opportunity oftaking a beginner-level course in one of eight different languages.
Further information about language courses and how to register for them will be available at the beginningof term.
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The year in industryStudents who chose the Year in Industry programme will normally take the industrial year between ME2and ME3, when its ability to enrich the academic course and the ME3 group project will probably begreatest.
All the information you need for this year is provided in the separate Guide to Industrial Training.
Imperial HorizonsThe Imperial Horizons programme offers UG1-2 students the opportunity to develop knowledge andskills beyond their core degree subject. There are courses on subjects including languages at variouslevels, humanities, business and global issues. The aims are to broaden undergraduate education, inspirecreativity and enhance professional impact.
In 2015-16, Imperial Horizons will be offered to all first and second years in autumn and spring Terms.
Key selling points are:
• Students develop a unique career edge. The courses are a selling point for employers, developingvaluable skills in communication, team-working and problem-solving, and promoting enhanced businessand organisational awareness.
• Improved student experience. The courses are designed to have maximum positive impact on studentexperience.
• Free and taught during scheduled teaching slots. All Departments have organised timetables to avoidthe scheduled Horizons slots (16.00-18.00 on Tuesday for UG1 and Monday for UG2). There are noadditional charges.
Courses run for one or two terms. Students who enrol on a one-term course are encouraged to use theother term for a second course.
Table 15: Dates for incoming 1st years in October 2015.
Event Date Time
Imperial Horizons enrolment opens Monday, 7 September, 2015 —
Imperial Horizons enrolment closes Monday, 12 October, 2015 17:00
Allocations confirmed Friday, 23 October, 2015 —
Register your course preferences on the Imperial Horizons website during Welcome Week, beforeenrollment closes.
Informal information sessions where you can meet some of the teaching and administrative team to findout more about the programme or a particular course will take place Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdayduring Welcome Week from 12-2pm, in the Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication (access viaLevel 3 Sherfield Building)
To find our more, visit the website: www.imperial.ac.uk/horizons.
Related LinksFind out more about Imperial HorizonsHorizon course options available for ME2
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ME2 coursework marks distributionIn ME2, all marks for coursework are aggregated into a single, large pass/fail element so that a studentwho fails the year needs only to resit examinations. The allocation and distribution of coursework markswithin each module is stated on the course description.
Table 16: Distribution of coursework marks in ME2
Module code Module Activity Marks Total
Tutorial worksheets 1-8 20
Progress test 20
End of course test 60
ME2-HCPT Computing
TOTAL 100
Prototype 35
Group project report 50
Poster presentation 15
ME2-HDMF Design and Manufacture
TOTAL 100
Presentation 30ME2-HTPS Technical Presentation Skills
TOTAL 30
Progress test 06ME2-HMTH Mathematics
TOTAL 06
Progress test 06
Lab report 10
ME2-HFMX Fluid Mechanics
TOTAL 16
Progress test 06
Lab report 10
ME2-HTHD Thermodynamics
TOTAL 16
Progress test 06
Lab report 10
ME2-HHTR Heat transfer
TOTAL 16
Progress test 06
Lab report 10
ME2-HDYN Dynamics
TOTAL 16
Progress test 06
Lab report 10
ME2-HSAN Stress Analysis
TOTAL 16
Progress test 06ME2-HMATL Materials
Lab report 24
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Module code Module Activity Marks Total
TOTAL 30
Progress test 08
In-lab assessments 1-4 16
Lab report 20
ME2-HMTX Mechatronics
TOTAL 44
ME2 coursework TOTAL 390
Mapping of ME2 modules onto ECTS elementsAn ECTS element, — the smallest unit which a student can fail and re-take — is equivalent to a Registryunit of assessment. Since exchange students usually wish to transfer credit in modules rather than inRegistry units, there is a mapping between ME modules and the elements to which they contribute.
The following tables show, for each ME2 module, the total ECTS value both as an item in itself (if passed,for example, both on examined and coursework assessments) and as a contributor to Registry units ofassessment (elements). If an element consists of just one module, there is no distinction and the elementtakes the code of that module; otherwise, the element code is distinguished by having no level descriptor‘H’ or ‘M’ following the hyphen.
Table 17: ME2 modules
Module Module ECTS Distribution to ECTS element ME2-
DMM MTX SM TF HMTH CW
ME2-hTPS 1 — — — — — 1
ME2-hMBE 2 2 — — — — —
ME2-hDMF 10.5 5 — — — — 5.5
ME2-hMTX 5.5 — 5 — — — 0.5
ME2-hDYN 4.5 — — 4 — — 0.5
ME2-hSAN 5.5 — — 5 — — 0.5
ME2-hMATL 5 — — 5 — — —
ME2-hTHD 5 — — — 5 — —
ME2-hHTR 4.5 — — — 4 — 0.5
ME2-hFMX 5.5 — — — 5 — 0.5
ME2-hCPT 2 — — — — — 2
ME2-hMTH 9 — — — — 9
Total 60 7 5 14 14 9 11
ME2 student prizes and awardsVarious bequests, donors and sponsors (including the Department itself) have funded annual prizes tostudents for special achievement. These are awarded at an informal ceremony in the Department, to whichparents are invited, on Graduation Day.
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Table 18: Annual awards offered
Award Citation and value Notes
C F Rae Griffin BookPrize
For annual award to a second year undergraduatestudent in the Department of MechanicalEngineering for excellence in practical coursework. In making recommendations, Departmentsare asked to bear in mind that the objectiveof the prize is to recognise excellence in thepractical coursework — i.e. a real flair for practicalengineering.
ME2
Frank Turner WilsonSecond Year Prize
Three prizes, each up to the value of £500, forannual award to the most outstanding student inthe second year of the undergraduate course inMechanical Engineering. The awards to take intoaccount academic achievement, practical abilitiesand contribution to departmental activities.
ME2
Frederic Barnes WaldronAward of the Institutionof Mechanical Engineers
For annual award to the best overall student inMechanical Engineering who has completed atleast two years of an accredited degree programmeand who is an affiliate member of the Institution ofMechanical Engineering. Value £200.
ME2
National Power Prize inMechanical Engineering
For annual award to the best overall student at theend of the second year. Value £100.
ME2
Neil Watson MemorialPrize
For annual award to up to four undergraduatestudents in the second year of any course inMechanical Engineering for excellence in oralcommunication of technical information. Value £100each.
ME2
Sir Bruce WhiteLaboratory Prize inMechanical Engineering
For annual award to the undergraduate student inMechanical Engineering with the most meritoriousperformance on the laboratory course in the secondyear. Value £100.
ME2
Improvers Prize A Departmental award to the undergraduate studentin Mechanical Engineering who has shown greatestimprovement in the second year. Value £50.
ME2
The Dean’s listBecause Imperial graduates compete in an international market, Imperial has matched the USA practiceof recognising the top 10% of A-graded students in each year on a ‘Dean’s list’ — and marking thisachievement on the transcript of graduating students.
The conditions are:
1. Achieving an overall mark of 70% or greater during the previous 12 months, and2. Being placed within the top 10% (rounded up) of students in their cohort — e.g., of their year and
programme.
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Chapter
9ME3 course information
Topics:
• The 3rd Year Organiser• Structure of the ME3
programme• Key dates and attendance in
ME3• Choosing ME3 electives• ME3 Design, make and test
project• Intellectual property• Undergraduate Teaching
Assistants• Mechanical Engineering with
Nuclear Engineering• Transfer from MEng to BEng• Transfer from BEng to MEng• Graduation• ME3 student prizes and
awards• The Dean’s list
As you begin your third year, you’ve mastered most of the of theknowledge and skills which every mechanical engineer needs. Thisyear focuses on gathering these together to analyse machine andenergy systems, and on developing the group working skills you needto create such systems yourself. You will also begin to study in greaterdepth specialised subjects which particularly interest you.
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The 3rd Year Organiser
Dr Daniel Balint
Room 519
Email [email protected]
You should check the ME3 Blackboard site and notice board (on level 7, by the lifts) frequently during termtime. Notices and emails are usually the only practicable means of communication in ME3.
Structure of the ME3 programmeThe core elements of ME3 are one lecture-based module on each of the two main subject areas, a groupproject and a literature research project. The remainder consists of electives which should be selected withthe following year in mind.
The two core lecture modules — each running in autumn and spring terms, consisting of lectures andtutorials and assessed by a written examination — are:
• Machine System Dynamics, which completes core material in the Control and Solid Mechanicssubject areas, and
• Thermodynamics and Energy, which completes core material in the Thermofluids subject area.
Two further core modules are assessed by coursework only:
• The Literature Research Project, which is undertaken in autumn term and submitted in Week 8, and• The Design, Make and Test Project, which runs throughout the session.
You must also take five elective modules, choosing them according to fixed rules.
Related LinksME1 module descriptorsBlackboard course materials
Key dates and attendance in ME3The College has both a duty of care towards its students, and regulations to ensure that that they follow theprescribed programme of studies. For these and other reasons there are several points during the year atwhich your absence will be reported to the Senior Tutor.
Attendance is monitored at:
• Minuted DMT Project meetings• Weekly personal tutorials• The Ethics course
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All coursework submissions are registered.
Table 19: Key dates this session: ME3
Event Date Time
Autumn term begins Monday, 5 October, 2015 —
Autumn term ends Friday, 18 December, 2015 —
Spring term begins Saturday, 9 January, 2016 —
Spring term ends Wednesday, 23 March, 2016 —
Summer term begins Saturday, 23 April, 2016 —
ME3-4 exams begin Monday, 25 April, 2016 —
ME3-4 exams end Friday, 6 May, 2016 —
DMT report due Thursday, 2 June, 2016 12:00
Project seminar week begins Monday, 6 June, 2016 —
Summer term ends Friday, 24 June, 2016 —
ME3-4 elective selection closes Friday, 20 November, 2015 17:00
Attention: For coursework submission deadlines, key dates and late-breaking news associatedwith specific modules, please check the calendar on the corresponding Blackboard page.
Caution: You are required to attend College until the end of session because the ExternalExaminers may wish to interview you during the last week. You should therefore avoid anycommitment — other than those forming part of the course — which could prevent you attendingCollege during term-time.
Related LinksTerm dates for next two years
Choosing ME3 electivesThe ME3 programme includes two core modules and several required coursework elements. Theremainder consists of more specialised optional courses (electives) which, within certain constraints, canbe chosen at will.
Types of ME3-4 electivesElectives are classified by level and by subject, so that the selection rules can ensure a balancedcurriculum.
Table 20: Elective level codes
Level code Description of level
H Equivalent to final-year Bachelor’s degree (Level 6)
M Equivalent to Master’s degree (Level 7)
Table 21: Elective subject codes
Subject code Levels Description of syllabus
Technical H, M Directly related to mainstream engineering science
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Subject code Levels Description of syllabus
Design and Management H, M Concerning the application of engineering principles in societyand in industry
Horizons H only Languages, cross-disciplinary subjects and broader culturaldisciplines
IDX M only Related to the disciplines of other Faculty of Engineeringdepartments, and provided by them under the Inter-DepartmentalExchange scheme.
Note: As well as IDX modules, a number of other ME3-4 electives are administered by oralongside other departments. Differences of practice and style may include the need to downloadand print your own notes: to cover this possibility, printing credits for all ME3-4 students have beenincreased.
Rules for selecting ME3 electivesOutside their essential core, the third and fourth years give you a great deal of choice in the subjectsyou study. It is very important, though, to plan carefully so that you remain eligible for the degree you areaiming at by observing the rules.
General conditions
1. No credit will be given for any elective unless you have registered for it.2. You cannot register for any M-level elective until you have progressed to ME4.3. No more than one Horizons elective in total can count towards your degree.4. No more than three Design and Management electives in total can count towards your degree.
Requirements for progressing from ME3 or graduating with a BEng degree
As well as the two core ME3 modules and coursework, you must complete five H-level electives. SomeME4 modules have pre-requisite ME3 modules, so you might want to plan ahead.
Warning: We cannot absolutely guarantee, more than a few months in advance, to run anyspecific M-level module.
If you plan to graduate from ME4 with an MEng in Mechanical Engineering with Nuclear Engineering, yourME3 electives must include both
• Introduction to Nuclear Energy and• Nuclear Chemical Engineering.
Electives differ widely in assessment mode and timing. Using the module descriptors, try to select adistribution which suits you.
You can, of course, attend one or two H-level electives for which you are not registered. It may laterbecome possible for you to register on one of these before assessments begin. If you are thinking of doingso discuss, with your Personal Tutor, the potential effects on your workload and on the balance of subjectsyou are studying.
If you are able to take on an additional course, then at the end of the year we will select your best resultsaccording to the General Conditions.
Warning: You cannot carry forward to ME4 marks from additional modules taken in ME3 but notcounted towards the ME3 Examination total.
Rules for selecting ME4 electivesTo graduate with an MEng in Mechanical Engineering you must, in addition to your ME4 project, completeone of the Advanced Applications courses and at least two other M-level electives.
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General conditions
1. No credit will be given for any elective unless you have registered for it.2. No more than one Horizons elective in total can count towards your degree.3. No more than two IDX electives in total can count towards your degree.4. No more than three Design and Management electives in total can count towards your degree.
To graduate with an MEng in Mechanical Engineering with Nuclear Engineering, your chosen electivesmust include three M-level ones:
• Nuclear Materials• Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and• Nuclear Reactor Physics.
Electives available to ME3 this sessionThe choice of electives does occasionally change from one year to the next.
H-level Technical electivesBEng final-year level electives on technical subjects offered to Mechanical Engineering undergraduatestudents this session.
Code Module ECTS
ME3-HCCM Computational Continuum Mechanics 6
ME3-HECM Embedded C for Microcontrollers 6
ME3-HFMX Fluid Mechanics 6
ME3-HFEAA Finite Element Analysis and Applications 6
ME3-HFFM Fundamentals of Fracture Mechanics 6
ME3-HNUCN Introduction to Nuclear Energy 6
CHE-430 Nuclear Chemical Engineering1 6
ME3-HMTH Mathematics 6
ME3-HSTAT Statistics 6
ME3-HSAN Stress Analysis 6
ME3-HSPAP Structure, Properties and Applications of Polymers 6
ME3-HMTM Manufacturing Technology and Management2 6
ME3-HTRB Tribology 6
Related LinksME3-HCCM module descriptionME3-HECM module descriptionME3-HFMX module descriptionME3-HFEAA module descriptionME3-HFFM module descriptionME3-HNUCN module descriptionME3-HMTH module descriptionME3-HSTAT module descriptionME3-HSPAP module description
1 Available to students on the Mechanical Engineering with Nuclear Engineering programme only.2 Formerly Integrated Design and Manufacture
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ME3-HMTM module descriptionME3-HTRB module description
H-level Design and Management electivesBEng final-year level electives on design and management topics offered to Mechanical Engineeringundergraduate students this year.
Code Module ECTS
ME3-HDAC Design, Art and Creativity 6
ME3-HDNVC Design-led Innovation and New Venture Creation 6
ME3-HTBM Technology, Business and the Market 6
ME3-HSDP System Design and Optimisation 6
BS0815 Business Economics 6
BS0808 Finance and Financial Management 6
Note: BS0815 and BS0808 are provided by the Business School under its BPES programme.
Related LinksME3-HDAC module descriptionME3-HDNVC module descriptionME3-HTBM module descriptionME3-HSDP module descriptionFurther information on Imperial College Business School BPES
H-level Horizons electivesThe Imperial Horizons programme has been extended to 3rd and 4th year students, providing a broadrange of elective courses on humanities, languages and other general topics.
The courses offered are listed at the Imperial Horizons website. All are delivered at the same time:Thursday, 16:00-18:00. Any of those currently available can be chosen, within our own general conditionsand those of the College. Only one can count towards your degree, and if it is a language course it must betaken at Level 2 or higher.
Tip: Any Horizons module which you take and pass, but which cannot count towards your degree,will be recorded on your transcript and will count for 6 additional ECTS.
Related LinksHorizon course options available for ME3 and ME4
Registering for ME3 electivesThe elective courses offered change from year to year and because space and timetable slots are limited,allocating places can be difficult. Although most students succeed in getting the electives they hoped for,the selection process can be difficult and must be started early.
1. If you wish to take a Horizons course, register for it as soon as they are announced — early in theprevious summer term. Places are still available on some modules until considerably later, so do checkthe Imperial Horizons website.
2. After all ME summer examinations are over, registration will open for ME electives only (exceptAdvanced Applications electives). Register your preliminary choices at any time before the deadline,using DSS: this is not a first-come, first-served process.
Event Date Time
ME3-4 elective selection closes Friday, 20 November, 2015 17:00
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Warning: If you choose more than five electives, your preferences will not be taken intoaccount at all! You are not making a final commitment, but we need to know your preferences forour planning.
Note: Staff and timetable changes beyond our control may still affect the electives offered:places on your preferred courses cannot be guaranteed or confirmed.
Important: Some modules have limited capacity and there will be a registration process forthem. You will be informed of this by e-mail and/or in the first lecture.
3. New ME4 students should investigate the Advanced Applications electives on offer, and make apreliminary choice after a special presentation during the first week of autumn term.
4. During the autumn term you may attend other electives for which you are not already registered, andyou may be able to register for them via the UG Office.
• If you were not successful with all your previous choices, you will now be able, to select otherelectives where places are available, in order to satisfy the selection rules.
• If you were successful with all your previous choices but wish to change them or to add to them,discuss your plans with your personal tutor first.
5. In the middle of ME4 spring term you will be asked to complete an Exam Registration form, indicatingthe courses you have selected and attended throughout the year.
Warning: Only marks for electives listed on the Exam Registration Form can be countedtowards the total Examination mark. It is your responsibility to select enough modules to followthe prescribed course, and complete any necessary coursework.
Registering for elective modules using DSSThe Departmental Student Services System (DSS) can be used to register and modify your selection ofelective modules online.
DSS remains under development, and in some respects it shows. One feature of special importance hasyet to be implemented:
Warning: DSS is unaware of the rules and constraints which limit the electives you can select, andcannot implement them. It is your responsibility to register for enough elective modules of the rightkind to progress or graduate at the end of the year!
The current (online) Student Handbook and the module descriptions accessible through it should provideyou with enough information to choose between the elective courses on offer to your cohort.
1. Login to Departmental Student Services.
2. In the My Courses window which opens, ensure that the correct Academic Year is selected in thetop pane. The second pane of this window should list any Core Courses, and the Selected CourseOptions pane below it will list your chosen electives. A fourth pane provides basic Instructions.
3. The courses available to you are listed in the fifth and final pane (some may already be full, and greyedout). Click the box next to each course you wish to take.
4. Click on Submit to transfer your choices to the Selected Course Options pane.
5. To deselect a module which you have chosen, click the box next to it in the Selected Course Optionspane.
6. When your choices have been registered, click on Back.
Your choice of electives has now been registered, but at any time up to the date set you can modify it byfollowing the same procedure.
Important:
Event Date Time
Elective selection closes Friday, 20 November, 2015 17:00
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Related LinksLogin to DSS
ME3 Design, make and test projectYour DMT project is the largest single assignment in ME3, carrying the most marks. You will work in ateam of up to five to design, create and test an engineering device or system.
Each DMT project is supervised by two members of staff: a Supervisor and an Associate Supervisor, whowill also be the ‘customers’ for your product. DMT projects generally involve practical work, e.g. within theSupervisor’s research group, the IDEAs Lab or the Formula Student pit garage.
An important objective of the DMT project is that through it you learn how to manage an engineeringproject. You must therefore incorporate aspects of Engineering Quality Management in your projectreports, and these will carry a proportion of the total available marks. If well thought out, they will also be acrucial factor in determining your success.
Full details of the DMT module are given in separate documentation and an introductory lecture.
Related LinksLink to Blackboard DMT site
Intellectual propertyProject work may generate — or may use — ideas or products which are ‘patentable’. On registering asa student at Imperial, you agreed to the College’s Intellectual Property policy: this limits how far you canprotect intellectual property, but also limits your responsibility for maintaining that of others.
If your project is supported — with or without funding — by an external collaborator, your work on it mayrequire information which the collaborator does not wish to divulge publicly. If so, your supervisor willarrange for a standard College contractual agreement to be set up and will make you fully aware at theoutset of any potential limitations on your work: for example, a DMT project poster may require yourproject sponsor’s prior approval of its content, and this could take several weeks.
The agreement may just relate to confidentiality (a non-disclosure agreement, NDA) but it may besignificantly broader.
Warning: Never sign any such agreement, or any similar agreement that could potentially makeyou personally liable.
A College representative will sign for you. As part of your initial registration at College, you agreed to bebound by the terms of student IP Policy; the College therefore signs agreements on your behalf. You maybe asked to acknowledge the terms of an agreement, but liability still rests with the College.
Related LinksInformation about College policy on intellectual propertyBritish Library website on intellectual propertyInformation about College policy on intellectual propertyBritish Library website on intellectual property
Undergraduate Teaching AssistantsAs in other faculty departments, some undergraduates who are doing well in later years are invited to tutorstudents in earlier years during scheduled tutorials.
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The use of Undergraduate Teaching Assistants in the Faculty of Engineering was piloted in Computingand adopted by several other departments, mainly for teaching mathematics. All departments who tried thescheme reported that it was enthusiastically welcomed.
• Students were generally less inhibited in asking questions from tutors closer to their peer group• Undergraduate tutors gained not only financially (being paid at the standard GTA rate) but also in
experience of teaching and in enhanced mastery of the subject material.
The department implemented a pilot scheme for ME1 Mathematics, employing UTAs to support theacademic or GTA tutors already appointed, in 2012-13. Candidates were identified from ME3-4 cohortsand vetted by asking them to discuss with, and apply through, their personal tutor. The personal tutorapplied on the candidate’s behalf to the Director of Courses, providing a brief reference.
Claiming payment for undergraduate teaching workUndergraduate Teaching Assistants are paid by the College at a standard rate, and must go through astandard procedure to formalise their employment and record teaching hours. Claims must then be mademonthly.
Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UTAs) are paid as casual workers, and must complete a fewformalities before being eligible.
Important: You must claim payment monthly: you cannot carry over hours into the followingmonth.
Before applying for payment, you must already have a National Insurance Number.
1. Before beginning work, download and complete a Casual Worker joining form (Pay 8a)·
2. Visit the UG Administrator or PG Administrator with the Pay 8a form and original documentary evidence(e.g. a passport) of your eligibility to work in the UK:
a) A copy of this evidence will be made and forwarded to the College Payroll office.b) Complete and sign a Letter of Understanding recording your details.
3. At the end of each subsequent month in which you have worked:
a) Complete section A of a Pay 8b form.b) Download and complete (electronically, so that the payment amount is calculated) a Work Record
Form.c) Ask the Course Leader to confirm the work you have done by signing the Work Record form.
4. Take the completed Pay 8b and Work Record forms to the UG Office.
Payment will be made directly into your bank account.Related Links
Union guidance for international students on getting a National Insurance numberDownload Pay 8a formDownload Pay 8b formDownload Work Record form form
Mechanical Engineering with Nuclear EngineeringWith most of the core mechanical engineering completed, you are in a strong position to specialise inNuclear Engineering. This gives you the opportunity to graduate in a field of resurgent internationalimportance, without sacrificing any of the breadth or flexibility of your main degree subject.
The need to break the developed world’s dependence on fossil fuels has led to rapid expansion in thesustainable energy and nuclear industries.
The Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Materials departments have responded to theneed for graduates specialised in nuclear engineering by launching degree programme variants.
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Like the other two, the Mechanical Engineering with Nuclear Engineering MEng programme differs fromthe parent degree only in requiring five specific elective modules to be taken in ME3 and ME4:
1. ME3 Introduction to Nuclear Engineering (ME)2. ME3 Nuclear Chemical Engineering (CE)3. ME4 Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics (CE)4. ME4 Nuclear Reactor Physics (ME)5. ME4 Nuclear Materials (MM).
You can transfer your registration to the Nuclear specialisation at any time until the first term of ME3.Modules (1) and (5) are taught by Mechanical Engineering, the others by Chemical Engineering (CE) andMaterials (MM).
Important: The Nuclear Chemical Engineering module must be taken in ME3, and will not beavailable to you as an elective for credit until you have transferred degree registration.
To transfer, please write to the Senior Tutor. If you were previously registered for Mechanical Engineeringwith a Year in Industry, you can register for and graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering withNuclear Engineering and a Year in Industry.
Related LinksBrochure on nuclear programmes (pdf)
Transfer from MEng to BEngStudents who wish to join Innovation Design Engineering or another Master’s programme after their thirdyear — or whose second year exam total suggests that they might not manage an MEng if they continue— can transfer registration and leave with an unaccredited BEng degree.
The BEng programme offers a first-cycle exit for students who do not need to — or might fail to —complete an Integrated Masters programme.
The ‘BEng exit’ is intended primarily for students who have been accepted on the Innovation DesignEngineering (IDE) double Masters (MA + MSc) programme, which we run jointly with the Royal College ofArt. Students heading for IDE do not need either to complete the research-type individual project or to passthe advanced engineering science modules which make up most of ME4.
A small number of students who do not achieve 50% on examination aggregate in ME2 and are at risk offailing to graduate at MEng level need to transfer to BEng registration. Most will recover and pass the M-level core courses, but those who do not will still have satisfied the criteria for graduation after three years.
While the BEng is a valid degree it does not, in itself, provide an accredited base for CEng registration.Graduates who wish to change direction have a solid degree and a guaranteed set of adaptable skills.Those who do not can apply immediately to IMechE for IEng (Incorporated Engineer) status — which mayor may not require an additional period of monitored, work-based learning.
Why is our BEng programme unaccredited?
Accreditation of the BEng programme would require a full individual project in ME3. Students who graduateat this point do not need it anyway, because either:
• They already have a place on a Masters course elsewhere (e.g. IDE itself), or• They need more extra study to reach M level than a single additional year would provide.
The evidence of their individual attainment is, as always, provided by the degree class and transcript.
Why isn’t it possible to enrol on the BEng programme directly?
This is the country’s leading Mechanical Engineering department, attracting a high and increasing numberof the very best candidates.
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To maintain the quality of the programme we have to restrict our intake, but to provide the engineers whichthe profession needs we must maximise our output at potential Chartered Engineer level. We therefore donot accept entry from students who plan to leave at BEng level and — to ensure that candidates do notlimit their choices elsewhere — we will no longer offer enrolment on the programme via UCAS.
At what point may students transfer to the BEng programme?
At the end of their second year, students have completed the most of the core engineering sciencemodules and almost all of their learning in design. At this point potential IDE students will apply for entryand may transfer to BEng registration.
Year 3 includes two compulsory courses on core engineering science subjects at Masters (M) level — butBEng students need only pass these at 40% on aggregate, and can plan their learning accordingly.
Related LinksInnovation Design Engineering MA/MSc course website
Transfer from BEng to MEngIf your ME2 exam total was not high enough to keep you on the MEng programme but you still wish tograduate with an MEng degree, it may be possible to transfer back when you have successfully completedyour third year.
Part II of our course is tough, and the results count for 25% of the final MEng degree marks (40% of thosefor BEng). To get back on track for MEng graduation, a student will need to do well in Part III. Fortunately,many do.
A student who achieves an aggregate total of at least 40% on the two core ME3 modules AND at least55% on Part III examination total AND satisfies all other criteria (e.g. coursework) for progression to Part IVof the MEng degree may be invited to transfer back. This remains at the discretion of the Examiners.
Important: If you do not transfer back to MEng, please don’t assume that you can’t achieve alower second class degree. Having just failed to make 50% in Part II but just failed to make 55%in Part III, it is certainly possible; such cases would be few, but ‘near misses’ would be consideredcarefully at the Examiners’ meeting.
GraduationWith your final-year taught modules examined and your project work written up and presented, the degreeprogramme is over. Academic and administrative staff now integrate all of the module marks and any otherrelevant information to decide, at a final meeting, the degree class to award.
The Examiners’ MeetingIn reality a series of three meetings interspersed with fact-finding activities and reviews, this procedureleads to a final mark for graduating students and to a decision on progression for all others.
The process begins with the collection of all marks registered during the year for every student except, insome cases, those who have yet to complete their year abroad. Checks are made at this stage to ensurethat each student has a mark for each module for which s/he was registered.
Verified marks are next input to a master database which contains the marks brought forward fromprevious years for each registered student. Finally a program which implements the progression rules foreach student’s year of entry is run to update the database and arrive at a mark for the current year.
The First Examiners’ Meeting, attended by a core group of senior academics and administrators, takesan overview of the year’s results. Special cases are discussed and exam or coursework marks for moduleswhich may require moderation are identified.
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At the Second Examiners’ Meeting, the same group considers preliminary outcomes for individualstudents, considering them anonymously. In particular, College regulations require every candidate who iswithin 2.5% of a degree class boundary (e.g. who has a mark between 67.5% and 70%) to be consideredfor promotion. At this stage mitigating circumstances are considered and a decision is made on:
1. Whether to carry the information forward to the following year2. Whether to recommend to the final meeting that a graduating student is awarded an appropriate
compensation in marks.
The two External Examiners — senior academics from other UK universities — now arrive. They spenda day reviewing all marked examination scripts and coursework marked during the year, concentratingon individual project reports and (for BEng students) DMT project results for students who might beconsidered for degree class promotion.
Warning: The External Examiners may decide, for this reason or any other, that they wish tointerview a student in person.
The Final Examiners’ Meeting is attended by all academic staff (who assess students and are therefore‘Examiners’), the External examiners and a representative from Registry to advise on procedures andregulations. This is the occasion on which degrees and degree classes (honours) are formally agreed.
Note: At no stage is the proportion of results in each degree class used to implement a ‘quota’, ortaken into account in any way at all. In theory every student could get a first!
The graduation ceremonyOn what the College calls Commemoration Day in late October after your final year, you will arrive at thegraduation ceremony as an undergraduate, participate as a graduand and emerge as a graduate.
Event Date Time
Commemoration Day Monday, 19 October, 2015 —
Invitations are issued during August. Attendance is not required — your degree will be awarded anyway! —but few graduands manage to resist the allure of the occasion and the pressure of family and peers.
ME3 student prizes and awardsVarious bequests, donors and sponsors (including the Department itself) have funded annual prizes tostudents for special achievement. These are awarded at an informal ceremony in the Department, to whichparents are invited, on Graduation Day.
Table 22: Annual awards offered
Award Citation and value Notes
Frank Turner WilsonThird Year Prize
Three prizes, each up to the value of £500, forannual award to the most outstanding studentin the third year of the undergraduate course inMechanical Engineering. The awards to take intoaccount academic achievement, practical abilitiesand contribution to departmental activities.
ME3
Governors’ BEng Prize inMechanical Engineering
For annual award to the student of greatest meritin the final undergraduate year of the BEng course.Value £100.
ME3
Renishaw Prize For annual award to the undergraduate student onthe four year course in Mechanical Engineering who
ME3: normally one prizeawarded to each student
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Award Citation and value Notes
produces the best project during the third year ofthe course. Value £100 each.
in best DMT projectgroup
Mechanical EngineeringStudent Centenary Prize
For annual award to the undergraduate student whois adjudged to have submitted the most meritoriouswork in the third or final year. Value £200.
ME3–4
The Dean’s listBecause Imperial graduates compete in an international market, Imperial has matched the USA practiceof recognising the top 10% of A-graded students in each year on a ‘Dean’s list’ — and marking thisachievement on the transcript of graduating students.
The conditions are:
1. Achieving an overall mark of 70% or greater during the previous 12 months, and2. Being placed within the top 10% (rounded up) of students in their cohort — e.g., of their year and
programme.
Chapter
10ME4 course information
Topics:
• The 4th Year Organiser• Structure of the ME4
programme• Key dates and attendance in
ME4• Choosing ME4 electives• Electives available to ME4
this session• The ME4 individual project• Intellectual property• Finding employment• Further study• Graduation• ME4 student prizes and
awards• The Dean’s list
Entering ME4, the final year of the MEng programme, you have theeducational base you need to be employed as an engineer. For moststudents, this year will be dominated by the search for employers —and by the individual project which will demonstrate your abilities tothem.
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The 4th Year Organiser
Dr Ambrose Taylor
Room 515
Email [email protected]
Structure of the ME4 programmeThere are two core elements in ME4: the Individual Project, and the Advanced Application Course; foreach, you must choose the instance of your choice. The remainder of the programme consists of electives.
The largest single element in ME4 is the Individual Project, which counts for 42% of the marks. The othercore element is a double-length Advanced Applications course: all of these are constructed on the sametemplate, but they specialise in different industrial sectors.
Related LinksME4 module descriptorsBlackboard course materials
Key dates and attendance in ME4The College has both a duty of care towards its students, and regulations to ensure that that they followthe prescribed programme of studies. For these and other reasons there are a number of points during theyear at which your absence will be reported to the Senior Tutor.
Attendance is monitored at:
• Project supervision meetings• Occasional personal tutorials.
All coursework submissions are registered.
Event Date Time
Autumn term begins Monday, 5 October, 2015 —
Individual project list opens Monday, 5 October, 2015 —
Individual project selection closes Friday, 16 October, 2015 12:00
Commemoration Day Monday, 19 October, 2015 —
Individual project definitions due Friday, 6 November, 2015 17:00
ME3-4 elective selection closes Friday, 20 November, 2015 17:00
Individual project plan report due Friday, 13 November, 2015 12:00
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Event Date Time
Autumn term ends Friday, 18 December, 2015 —
Spring term begins Saturday, 9 January, 2016 —
Individual project progress report due Friday, 5 February, 2016 12:00
Spring term ends Wednesday, 23 March, 2016 —
Summer term begins Saturday, 23 April, 2016 —
ME3-4 exams begin Monday, 25 April, 2016 —
ME3-4 exams end Friday, 6 May, 2016 —
Individual project report deadline Friday, 3 June, 2016 12:00
Project seminar week begins Monday, 6 June, 2016 —
Summer term ends Friday, 24 June, 2016 —
Attention: For all coursework submission deadlines, key dates and late-breaking news associatedwith specific modules, please check the calendar on the corresponding Blackboard page.
Caution: You are required to attend College until the end of session because the ExternalExaminers may wish to interview you during the last week. You should therefore avoid anycommitment — other than those forming part of the course — which could prevent you attendingCollege during term-time.
Related LinksTerm dates for next two years
Choosing ME4 electivesThe selection rules for ME4 electives are designed to provide a broad spread of knowledge and skills,while providing the necessary minimum proportion of M-level curriculum for an accredited MEng degree.
Registering for ME4 electivesThe elective courses offered change from year to year and because space and timetable slots are limited,allocating places can be difficult. Although most students succeed in getting the electives they hoped for,the selection process can be difficult and must be started early.
1. Register for Horizons courses early in the previous summer term. Places may still remain on certainmodules: please check the Imperial Horizons website if you need to.
2. After summer examinations are over, registration will open for ME electives only. Register yourpreliminary choices at any time before the deadline, using DSS: this is not a first-come, first-servedprocess.
Event Date Time
ME3-4 elective selection closes Friday, 20 November, 2015 17:00
Warning: If you choose more than five electives, your preferences will not be taken intoaccount at all! You are not making a final commitment, but we must know your preferences forour planning.
Note: Staff and timetable changes beyond our control may still affect the electives offered:places on your preferred courses cannot be guaranteed or confirmed.
Important: Some modules have limited capacity and there will be a registration process forthem. You will be informed of this by e-mail and/or in the first lecture.
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3. During the autumn term you may attend other electives for which you are not already registered andmay be able to register for them via the UG Office.
• If you were not successful with all your previous choices, you will now be able, to select otherelectives where places are available, in order to satisfy the selection rules.
• If you were successful with all your previous choices but wish to change them or to add to them,discuss your plans with your personal tutor first.
4. Your Advanced Applications module can be chosen after introductory presentations when the sessionbegins.
5. In the middle of ME4 spring term you will be asked to complete an Exam Registration form, indicatingthe courses you have selected and attended throughout the year.
Warning: Only marks for electives listed on the Exam Registration Form can be countedtowards the total Examination mark. It is your responsibility to select enough modules to followthe prescribed course, and complete any necessary coursework.
Rules for selecting ME4 electivesTo graduate with an MEng in Mechanical Engineering you must, in addition to your ME4 project, completeone of the Advanced Applications courses and at least two other M-level electives.
General conditions
1. No credit will be given for any elective unless you have registered for it.2. No more than one Horizons elective in total can count towards your degree.3. No more than two IDX electives in total can count towards your degree.4. No more than three Design and Management electives in total can count towards your degree.
To graduate with an MEng in Mechanical Engineering with Nuclear Engineering, your chosen electivesmust include three M-level ones:
• Nuclear Materials• Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics and• Nuclear Reactor Physics.
Electives available to ME4 this sessionThis list will be updated from year to year.
Related LinksH-level Technical electives on page 88H-level Design and Management electives on page 89H-level Humanities and Language electivesRegistering for elective modules using DSS on page 90
M-level Advanced Applications electivesDouble-length courses on industry-specific topics offered to Mechanical Engineering students this year.
Code Module ECTS
ME4-MAET Aircraft Engine Technology 12
ME4-MMPT Metal Processing Technology 12
ME4-MMTT Mechanical Transmission Technology 12
ME4-MVPT Vehicle Propulsion Technology 12
Related Links
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ME4-MAET module descriptionME4-MMPT module descriptionME4-MMTT module descriptionME4-MVPT module description
M-level Technical electivesMaster’s level electives on technical subjects offered to Mechanical Engineering students this year.
Code Module ECTS
ME4-MASA Advanced Stress Analysis 7
ME4-MCNTL Advanced Control 7
ME4-MAVE Advanced Vibration Engineering 7
ME4-MCMB Combustion 7
ME4-MCFD Computational Fluid Dynamics 7
ME4-MFEAA Finite Element Analysis and Applications 7
ME4-MNDP Interfacing and Data Processing 7
ME4-MNURP Nuclear Reactor Physics 7
Related LinksME4-MASA module descriptionME4-MCNTL module descriptionME4-MAVE module descriptionME4-MCMB module descriptionME4-MCFD module descriptionME4-MFEAA module descriptionME4-MNDP module descriptionME4-MNURP module description
M-level IDX electivesThe modules offered by other Faculty of Engineering departments to ME4 students this year. They are allclassed as M-level when taken on this cross-disciplinary basis, and will generally require some preparatorystudy.
Code Module ECTS
AE3-414 Applications of Fluid Dynamics 7
BE4-HHCARD Computer Assistive and Rehabilitative Devices 7
CHE-429 Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics 7
CHE-431 Transport Processes for Biological Systems 7
CO4-22 Computational Finance 7
EE4-47 Modelling and Control of Multi-Body Mechanical Systems 7
EE4-50 Sustainable Electrical Systems 7
MSE-312 Nanomaterials 7
MSE-315 Biomaterials 7
MSE-414 Nuclear Materials 7
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Code Module ECTS
MSE-417 Advanced Biomaterials 7
Other courses offered by Faculty departments and listed on the IDX website have not been accepted forMechanical Engineering students — but this situation can change. Previously unavailable courses aresometimes offered, and occasionally one is withdrawn.
Any student interested in taking, for credit, a course offered to IDX but not yet listed here, can apply to theDirector of Undergraduate Studies before the previous session ends. With departmental approval, it maybe possible for one or two students to do so on a trial basis.
Related LinksIDX courses
The ME4 individual projectAn individual project, requiring the student to report identifiable original work or analysis, is an essentialcomponent of any Integrated Master’s (MEng) degree programme. The ME4 Individual Project module is ineffect a scaled-down Master’s project, forming the largest component of every MEng student’s final year.
Mechanical Engineering projects can be experimental, computational, analytical, design-centred — orany combination of these. An accredited MEng project should have a strong engineering content, usingknowledge and skills acquired in previous years of the programme and should, ideally, refer to andintegrate topics from other areas of engineering. It may also involve non-technological, e.g. economic,safety and sustainability aspects.
Each individual project is supervised by an academic member of staff and most are conducted withina research group. An associate supervisor is nominated to take over in an emergency. A fundamentalrequirement, however, is that the student takes full responsibility for the work.
Individual Project PresentationThe final stage of the MEng Degree is the Individual Project Seminar. Attendance for the whole of theassigned presentation session is mandatory for all students.
The final stage of the MEng Degree is the Individual Project Seminar. Each student will have a 25 minuteslot during which they will deliver a presentation allowing time for questions from the audience. This is asignificant element of the undergraduate degree and should be treated as a professional activity. Studentsmust ensure that they are prepared in advance and are encouraged to ask questions of the other students.
Important: You are required to attend the whole of your session (i.e. the whole morning sessionor the whole afternoon session). Penalties will be applied to students who do not attend the wholesession.
Intellectual propertyProject work may generate — or may use — ideas or products which are ‘patentable’. On registering asa student at Imperial, you agreed to the College’s Intellectual Property policy: this limits how far you canprotect intellectual property, but also limits your responsibility for maintaining that of others.
If your project is supported — with or without funding — by an external collaborator, your work on it mayrequire information which the collaborator does not wish to divulge publicly. If so, your supervisor willarrange for a standard College contractual agreement to be set up and will make you fully aware at theoutset of any potential limitations on your work: for example, a DMT project poster may require yourproject sponsor’s prior approval of its content, and this could take several weeks.
The agreement may just relate to confidentiality (a non-disclosure agreement, NDA) but it may besignificantly broader.
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Warning: Never sign any such agreement, or any similar agreement that could potentially makeyou personally liable.
A College representative will sign for you. As part of your initial registration at College, you agreed to bebound by the terms of student IP Policy; the College therefore signs agreements on your behalf. You maybe asked to acknowledge the terms of an agreement, but liability still rests with the College.
Finding employmentFor many students, ME4 is dominated by the search for employment. To supplement the advice givenby the Careers Centre, members of our departmental Industrial Academic Board have offered advicespecifically oriented towards the engineering and related industries.
The Industrial Academic Board (IAB), which meets twice a year, brings together representatives of thedepartment with representatives from a few of the companies which employ our graduates. Its aim is toensure that graduates are well prepared for the needs of industry, while keeping employers abreast ofdevelopments in our teaching programmes.
Related LinksCollege Careers Service website.College Careers Service website.
Technical interviewsSome basic do’s and don’ts for success in technical interviews for employment in engineering.
Preparation: before you attend
• Make sure you understand the role you are applying for: plan for questions on technical and peopleaspects; challenges that the employer is facing; health, safety, environment and legislation.
• Ask yourself what you have to offer: what are your skills/competencies? How is your backgroundrelevant to the role?
• Ask before the interview (usually your contact would be from the HR dept, but not always) if there is aparticular structure to it, or aspects that will be covered; this may help to focus your mind.
• Review background information on the financial status of the company applied to (all company accountsare public domain).
• Read up on the relevant industry: what are the challenges? Does your prospective employer have anykey suppliers and customers? What are their strengths?
• Ensure you are up to date with at least public-domain knowledge of the particular company interviewingyou. It should be obvious by your questioning that you have visited their website and are up to date withlatest public announcements. Perhaps pick up on something of interest from the website and ask thema question on it.
• Make sure you understand project costing and show an awareness of the need to keep projects withinbudgets. At least be able to describe how you would arrive at a project cost — what would you includeand exclude.
• Check any work permit or visa requirements which depend upon nationality, and understand what (ifany) help an employer might give. This information is usually freely available on company recruitmentwebsites or in application packs.
• Prepare some questions to ask on, for example, terms and conditions, mobility, progression, trainingprovided, whether the company support development to CEng and, if so, how…
• Think about what development needs you have (everyone has them — at every stage of their careers).• Recognise the need to demonstrate reasonable technical depth and breadth at the interview: don’t
forget the fundamentals.• Remember: the interview is two-way, and they are actually being interviewed by you as well. Listen to
what they are saying critically and think about whether you would be comfortable working for them.
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At the interview
• Arrive on time: 10 minutes early is a good guide. If you expect to be held up call your contact as soonas possible.
• Dress appropriately.• Turn off your mobile, or set it to silent.• Be positive and enthusiastic: you need to convey that you actually want the job.• Remember body language and posture; sit upright and look alert. Make good eye contact with the
interviewers. Try to avoid using poor language, slang or pause-words (“like” etc. …) during yourdiscussion.
• Be prepared to talk about a University project — both its technical aspects and the softer aspectssuch as team working. This approach can be used to put the candidate at ease and to get themtalking about something they feel comfortable with. What was the project about? What hurdles did youovercome? Did it work? What were the findings/benefits? Be prepared to communicate this for, say, 5minutes.
• Formulate a clear idea about how you would like your career to develop — hopefully it will matchthe company’s. Consider technical and managerial routes for career progression but also careerenrichment opportunities. Be realistic about your ambitions: we can’t all be — or wouldn’t want to be —the CEO.
• Don’t worry about being nervous. Having some nerves is probably good and is perfectly natural — theinterviewers will understand.
• Ask for clarification if you don’t understand a question.• Ask intelligent questions about the job, company, training or industry.• Be yourself. They want to employ you, not somebody else. If you don’t get the role applied for they may
consider that you are better suited to other roles (which may not be widely advertised).• Discussions about salary and benefits usually occur at the end. Only initiate a discussion if the
interviewer omits to do so.• DON’T regurgitate details from the company website during the interview.• DON’T expect to derive complex equations.• Don’t worry if you can’t answer a question: it’s best to be honest and respond that you don’t know,
or are not sure. But do follow up with a question or two: this shows interest and will improve yourunderstanding, if nothing else.
• DON’T be negative about past internships or industrial experiences; recognise positive points and whatyou have gained from the experience.
• DON’T rely on your CV to do the selling for you. No matter how good your grades, scores andqualifications are, you will need to sell yourself to the interviewers.
Assessment centresInformation about assessment centres and tips on doing well at them.
Assessment centres may be preceded by a telephone interview. If so, don’t just phone — see elsewherefor advice, and prepare.
Preparation: before you attend
Find as much as you can about the assessment centre in advance. The company should provide somebriefing information; if they don’t or you feel that you need further information, then just contact them andask. Each company’s format will differ and the following is provided for general guidance.
• Make sure you understand the challenges faced by the employer and those relevant in their industry. There should be plenty of information readily available on the internet — don’t just repeat details fromthe company website.
• Prepare to talk about some of the softer skills that are needed in an employee — if possible, with someexamples based on your experiences (working in a team, working with difficult people, how to meetdeadlines etc.).
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• Prepare to discuss Health and Safety: What is your approach? What matters to the employer? Do youhave any examples?
Assessment centres are usually facilitated by the company HR department, with staff from the companyattending to act as observers. At the end of the assessment centre the company observers meet toprovide an assessment of the candidates and to make recommendations. The observers will have beentrained prior to the event and will be working to a well defined set of assessment criteria.
The event itself will typically involve some or all of the following elements:
• Interview;• Team event;• Numerical and verbal reasoning tests, psychometrics etc.;• Presentation.
Interview
Scope/guidance should be provided before joining the assessment centre: see elsewhere for advice.
Team event
One scenario could be that teams of four are formed and the ‘team event’ spans the day. This is anattempt to replicate a working day where the flow of work will be interrupted. Expect a brief to be provided:for example it may include some data to be assessed along with other disparate pieces of information, witha deadline to discuss at a meeting at some point later in the day. Expect to be provided with some late-breaking news that may have some impact on your conclusions. Some time is usually provided for yourteam to have discussions during the day, you may then have to discuss your finding in a meeting, whilstbeing observed. The purpose of the observers is to try to obtain an understanding of your behaviour andinteraction within a group.
• Raise points and contribute, even if it is to add strength to a point raised by another member of theteam.
• Allow others to speak.• If someone is reticent to speak then try to bring them into the conversation by asking for their views.• Be prepared to summarise the group’s understanding at some stage, and seek agreement.• If somebody else summarises for the group then be prepared to ask questions to test the findings• DON’T be afraid to say anything.• DON’T feel you have to be the loudest or most talkative to be noticed.
Numerical and verbal reasoning tests, psychometrics
Don’t worry about the numerical and verbal reasoning tests. Students often do much better at these thanstaff in post.
Presentation
This provides you with an opportunity to display your ability to interpret information in a short period of time,and to present some concise conclusions. You will be provided with time to review data and prepare a 10min presentation, usually using PowerPoint. Note; some companies will require a longer presentation, upto 20 minutes and to senior managers followed by technical and non-technical questions.
• Work to your brief (read it carefully).• Introduce yourself, your topic, time allocation etc. — and stick to your time.• Specify whether you would prefer to be questioned during the presentation, or after it.• Present concise, clear slides.• Ensure that the presentation starts with a clear statement of what you are providing in your
presentation, i.e. a short summary of the question or issue under discussion.• State a clear conclusion.
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• Be prepared to be challenged on your conclusions — so think about the alternative view.• Aim on providing a professional presentation even though time may well be very limited.• DON’T Look at slides or the computer too much during the presentation: talk to the audience and make
good eye contact.• DON’T Be defensive when you answer .• DON’T Be too soft-spoken: a more forceful voice projects confidence• DON’T Answer questions with a simple “yes” or “no”. Explain whenever possible. Reviewers check not
only how much you understand or know but also how you respond to a question.• DON’T let your mobile phone sound during the presentation — switch it off or set it to silent.
There is normally a wash-up session at the end, to which candidates are not invited. Observers try toidentify facts about each candidate during the day, usually facilitated by HR. It’s not foolproof but doesprovide a means of assessing candidates on the day.
Further studyMany students find that the sense of individual achievement and discovery generated by a successfulME4 Individual Project gets them hooked on research. Since you are already here and your track recordis known it will certainly be easier to find a project which suits you — even if it is offered in a differentdepartment.
Probably the best place to start looking for a PhD project will be with your ME4 (or perhaps ME3) projectsupervisor. Your personal tutor, and PhD students with which you will have made contact through theirwork as GTAs, are other good sources of inside information: ask around. Projects are posted publicly onBlackboard, the Departmental web pages and on a several open web sites.
Imperial runs a Postgraduate Open Day each December. Each department has an information standwith staff who can advise you on available research opportunities and Masters programmes. Designedprimarily for visitors from outside the College who plan to study here, this event can also be a useful sourceof information if you are thinking of studying in another department or even another university.
Related LinksPhD studentships offered on Department websiteImperial College Postgraduate Open DayFindAPhD websiteFind PhD opporunities on the jobs.ac.uk websiteEmail Postgraduate Secretary (Claire Dempster, Rm. 549)PhD studentships offered on Department websiteImperial College Postgraduate Open DayFindAPhD websiteFind PhD opporunities on the jobs.ac.uk websiteEmail Postgraduate Secretary (Claire Dempster, Rm. 549)
GraduationWith your final-year taught modules examined and your project work written up and presented, the degreeprogramme is over. Academic and administrative staff now integrate all of the module marks and any otherrelevant information to decide, at a final meeting, the degree class to award.
The Examiners’ MeetingIn reality a series of three meetings interspersed with fact-finding activities and reviews, this procedureleads to a final mark for graduating students and to a decision on progression for all others.
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The process begins with the collection of all marks registered during the year for every student except, insome cases, those who have yet to complete their year abroad. Checks are made at this stage to ensurethat each student has a mark for each module for which s/he was registered.
Verified marks are next input to a master database which contains the marks brought forward fromprevious years for each registered student. Finally a program which implements the progression rules foreach student’s year of entry is run to update the database and arrive at a mark for the current year.
The First Examiners’ Meeting, attended by a core group of senior academics and administrators, takesan overview of the year’s results. Special cases are discussed and exam or coursework marks for moduleswhich may require moderation are identified.
At the Second Examiners’ Meeting, the same group considers preliminary outcomes for individualstudents, considering them anonymously. In particular, College regulations require every candidate who iswithin 2.5% of a degree class boundary (e.g. who has a mark between 67.5% and 70%) to be consideredfor promotion. At this stage mitigating circumstances are considered and a decision is made on:
1. Whether to carry the information forward to the following year2. Whether to recommend to the final meeting that a graduating student is awarded an appropriate
compensation in marks.
The two External Examiners — senior academics from other UK universities — now arrive. They spenda day reviewing all marked examination scripts and coursework marked during the year, concentratingon individual project reports and (for BEng students) DMT project results for students who might beconsidered for degree class promotion.
Warning: The External Examiners may decide, for this reason or any other, that they wish tointerview a student in person.
The Final Examiners’ Meeting is attended by all academic staff (who assess students and are therefore‘Examiners’), the External examiners and a representative from Registry to advise on procedures andregulations. This is the occasion on which degrees and degree classes (honours) are formally agreed.
Note: At no stage is the proportion of results in each degree class used to implement a ‘quota’, ortaken into account in any way at all. In theory every student could get a first!
The graduation ceremonyOn what the College calls Commemoration Day in late October after your final year, you will arrive at thegraduation ceremony as an undergraduate, participate as a graduand and emerge as a graduate.
Event Date Time
Commemoration Day Monday, 19 October, 2015 —
Invitations are issued during August. Attendance is not required — your degree will be awarded anyway! —but few graduands manage to resist the allure of the occasion and the pressure of family and peers.
ME4 student prizes and awardsVarious bequests, donors and sponsors (including the Department itself) have funded annual prizes tostudents for special achievement. These are awarded at an informal ceremony in the Department, to whichparents are invited, on Graduation Day.
Table 23: Annual awards offered
Award Citation and value Notes
Mechanical EngineeringStudent Centenary Prize
For annual award to the undergraduate student whois adjudged to have submitted the most meritoriouswork in the third or final year. Value £200.
ME3–4
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Award Citation and value Notes
Bramwell Medal For annual award to the student at the top of theFinal year class list in Mechanical Engineering.Medal.
ME4
Governors’ MEngPrize in MechanicalEngineering
For annual award to the student of greatest merit inthe final undergraduate year of the MEng course.Value £100.
ME4
Henry Ford II ScholarAward in MechanicalEngineering
For annual award to the student with the bestacademic record based on the final first degreeexaminations in Mechanical Engineering; £1000to be awarded to the student at the end of his/herdegree course, and the remaining £1500 to bemade available to the department for allocationto the same student for an approved academicpurpose.
ME4
Institution of MechanicalEngineers Prize
For annual award to the student in the final yearof an accredited degree course who completesan outstanding research, development or designproject in Mechanical Engineering. Value £100.
ME4
The Dean’s listBecause Imperial graduates compete in an international market, Imperial has matched the USA practiceof recognising the top 10% of A-graded students in each year on a ‘Dean’s list’ — and marking thisachievement on the transcript of graduating students.
The conditions are:
1. Achieving an overall mark of 70% or greater during the previous 12 months, and2. Being placed within the top 10% (rounded up) of students in their cohort — e.g., of their year and
programme.
Chapter
11The year abroad
Topics:
• Student ExchangeCoordinator
• Exchange partners• Academic and other pre-
requisites• The Year Abroad application
process• The study plan• Completing a Year Abroad
The Department runs exchange agreements with a severalinternational universities. These arrangements allow selected studentsto replace ME4 with a year of study abroad, at institutions carefullychosen to offer equivalent degrees; they also bring us overseasstudents from programmes with different styles of teaching.
The year abroad programme provides a fantastic opportunity toexperience engineering education in another country and a differentcultural setting. It is a unique opportunity to travel and get to learn ina different environment. Demonstrating versatility and adaptability aswell as communication and language skills can be a key advantagewhen you seek employment.
Another benefit is that while abroad you can save money. Living costsat most exchange partner universities are less than in London and thecollege waives a proportion (under review) of its fees for exchangestudents. No tuition fees need be paid at the host institution: youremain registered as an Imperial College Student.
You can also apply for grants, e.g. Erasmus mobility grants, to covertravel and other costs.
Related LinksPlacements Abroad Handbook (pdf)
| The year abroad | 110
Student Exchange CoordinatorThe Student Exchange Coordinator is responsible for all students particpating in the university exchangeprogramme.
The Role of the Student Exchange Coordinator is:
• To select the students that will take part in the exchange programme.• To advise incoming and outgoing students, before and during the exchange, on academic issues such
as permissible course choice and credit and course requirements.• To approve learning agreements submitted by students on exchange.• To review exams marks and transcripts of incoming and outgoing exchange students.
Dr Stelios Rigopoulos
Room 620
s.rigopoulos [email protected]
Exchange partnersThe Mechanical Engineering with a Year Abroad programme offers exchanges both with Europeanuniversities (via Erasmus) and, on the basis of agreements at institutional level, with non-Europeanuniversities. It is not possible to arrange ad hoc transfers to any other university.
European universities
These exchanges are managed as part of the Erasmus Exchange Programme:
1. Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule, Aachen (‘RWTH Aachen’, Germany)2. Ecole Centrale Lyon (France)3. Ecole Centrale Paris (France)4. Technische Universiteit Delft (‘TU Delft’, Netherlands)5. Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (‘ETH Zurich’, Switzerland).
Non-European universities
These exchanges take place within institutional exchange agreements made at University level:
1. University of Melbourne (Australia)2. University of Sydney (Australia)3. University of California (US)4. National University of Singapore (‘NUS’)
| The year abroad | 111
Related LinksAachen University websiteEC Lyon websiteEC Paris websiteTU Delft websiteETH Zurich websiteUC Melbourne websiteUniversity of California websiteNational University of Singapore website
Academic and other pre-requisitesStudents are expected to be of a good academic standing before taking a year abroad — but it’s not justacademic qualities which are important. Both exchange partners need to be sure that you will be right forthe programme and that it will be right for you.
The requirements that this department imposes are:
• To be registered on the Mechanical Engineering with a Year Abroad (H304) programme (if you were noton H304 initially, you can still — even in ME3 — change your registration by application to the SeniorTutor)
• To have a minimum overall grade total of 65% on completing ME3• For partner universities teaching in other languages — i.e. Aachen, Zurich, Lyon and Paris — to
demonstrate Humanities level 4 or equivalent language skills• To show evidence of being a good ambassador for Imperial College London and its exchange
programme• To demonstrate motivation and organisational skills• To complete, independently, all the necessary formalities:
• Registering• Presenting an acceptable study plan• Completing the application form etc..
Caution: Satisfying these requirements does not guarantee acceptance by the partner university— which retains the right to refuse any application, and occasionally does so.
Related LinksInformation on co-curricular language courses
The Year Abroad application processAlthough many students register for the Year Abroad course on arrival, not all will go. Some will changetheir minds; some will not be academically strong to face the challenge. Finally, the need to balanceincoming and outgoing student numbers makes a careful selection process essential.
Figure 1: The application process for exchange programmes on page 112 shows an approximatetimeline for the entire process. The procedure for an individual student depends on whether the exchangewill be within Europe (facilitated by Erasmus) or farther afield.
| The year abroad | 112
Figure 1: The application process for exchange programmes
Related LinksThe study plan on page 113
Applying for an exchange outside EuropeThe exchange schemes for institutions farthest from the UK are also the most popular and competitive.Once the Department has selected its candidates, special administrative procedures related toimmigration/visa issues etc. require the involvement of the International Office, and slow the process down.
Demand for exchanges to universities outside Europe is very high: there are often 10 candidates for eachplace at the University of California and 3-4 for each at the University of Melbourne. A careful selectionprocess is therefore essential, but the nomination must be forwarded to the Registry’s International Officeby late November so that they can run the student through the administrative application process by lateJanuary/early February.
1. Attend the ME3 information session (also open to interested students from ME1–2) in week 2 or 3. Thismeeting presents general information about exchanges explains the selection process.
2. Write a motivation letter to the exchange coordinator, summarising your motivation for being selected.The deadline for receipt is usually one week after the information session.
a) Explain why you want to gob) Suggest why you would be a good representative of Imperialc) Where do you want to go, and why?d) How does it fit in with your career plans?e) Why do you deserve it?
3. Soon after the deadline for submission of these letters, three candidates selected on the basis of themwill be invited for interview.
4. Interviews take place about three weeks after submission. The panel will consist of at least threestaff members including the exchange coordinator, at least one other academic and either a furtheracademic or a member of the UG Office administrative staff.
5. As soon as possible afterwards, you will be told whether you have been selected for nomination.
Following nomination, the successful candidate(s) are further guided through the application process bythe International Office. The exchange coordinator remains in touch to ensure that the student produces anacceptable study plan and completes a Learning Agreement.
Applying for an exchange within EuropeThese exchanges are handled within the more straightforward Erasmus framework. There is usuallyno shortage of available places and all outgoing students can attend their university of choice; if not, aprocedure similar to that for exchanges outside Europe must be followed.
| The year abroad | 113
1. After the initial ME3 information session, indicate your interest to the exchange coordinator.
2. Following the second, European exchange information session in January/February, review theinformation on available courses (and applicable restrictions) at your chosen institution.
3. Complete the application forms, devise a study plan and send them to the exchange coordinator so thata Learning Agreement can be completed and signed.
4. Submit the application (deadlines are usually around April/May for start in September/October) andawait confirmation and acceptance by the partner institution. The host institution always reserves theright to reject any application — they are not obliged to accept any of our candidates.
5. Following acceptance, your instructions as an incoming exchange student will issued by the hostinstitution.
Related LinksErasmus website
The study planAn essential component of any inter-university exchange is a Study Plan. This is agreed by bothuniversities so that credit can be transferred back to the host (degree-awarding) university — i.e. Imperial.
The general requirements for a student studying abroad, who seeks to transfer credit back to counttowards his/her Mechanical Engineering H304 degree back at Imperial College are:
1. The candidate completes a work load worthy of 60 ECTS credit points2. 80% of the subjects taken for credit have engineering content and the majority of those are at Masters
level3. Within that 80%, the student must complete a final year project worth at least 14 ECTS4. There may be particular restrictions associated with each partner university.
Note: The department may, depending on the specific circumstances arising at a particularexchange partner institution, accept variations to these conditions. It can only participate in credit-transferring exchanges, i.e. a student cannot go abroad without transferring credits back.
Related LinksThe Imperial Success Guide: everything you need to support the transition from school touniversity
Completing a Year AbroadIt is obviously very important that Imperial receives an official transcript of results from the partneruniversity as soon as possible after completion of the year abroad.
Warning: It is your responsibility to ensure that the transcript is sent to the exchange coordinator.
If it arrives any later than early September, we cannot guarantee a place at the graduation ceremony — forwhich places for exchange students are, normally, reserved.
| Schemes for the award of Honours | 114
Chapter
12Schemes for the award of Honours
Topics:
• Progression and graduation• MEng in Mechanical
Engineering, 2015-16• MEng in Mechanical
Engineering with NuclearEngineering, 2015-16
• BEng in MechanicalEngineering, 2015-16
These schemes define the conditions under which students mayprogress through each programme and accumulate marks for theclassification of their degree.
From time to time, these schemes change. Nevertheless, each studentcarries with them the scheme which was in force when they began theprogramme: only students who began after any change will be affectedby it.
| Schemes for the award of Honours | 115
Progression and graduationThe Sub-committee of Examiners in Mechanical Engineering decides annually whether each studentshould progress to the next year of the programme or, after the final year, to graduation. Although theexaminers will exercise discretion in individual cases, their decision is based primarily on coursework andexamination marks.
The decisions available to the Examiners for each student are:
Pass
In order to progress normally, a student must satisfy the requirements for each Part of the programme,as shown in the following tables.
Deferred
A student who achieves the pass mark in coursework but who marginally fails to achieve a pass markin any individual Part I or II examination will normally, at the discretion of the Examiners, be offered oneor more Supplementary Qualifying Tests (SQTs) in September if s/he:
1. Achieved the stated pass mark on Examination Total, but failed to achieve the pass mark in up totwo individual examinations; OR
2. Failed to achieve the stated pass mark on Examination Total and failed to achieve the pass markin up to two individual examinations, and could achieve the stated pass mark on Examination Totalby achieving, in each SQT, a mark at least 10% higher than the stated pass mark for each failedexamination.
SQT and pass
At the discretion of the Examiners a student may progress, following a Deferred decision, if the markfor each SQT taken under condition 2 is at least 10% higher than the pass mark for the correspondingexamination which the student had failed. If the examination aggregate mark would thereby increasefrom below to above 40%, it is capped at 40%.
Resit
A student who had achieved the pass mark for coursework but does not pass the examinations for anyPart of the BEng or MEng may re-enter the failed examination on one further occasion.
Fail
A student who fails to achieve the pass mark for coursework, or who is no longer eligible to re-sit afailed examination, is required to withdraw.
MEng in Mechanical Engineering, 2015-16This is regarded as the basic scheme, on which all others are variants.
One mark contributes equally towards the degree in every year except the first, and the final degreeclass is determined by simple addition of marks awarded in Parts II to IV. Thus the four year totals, whenexpressed as percentages, contribute successively zero, 25%, 37.5% and 37.5% towards the total degreemark.
Part I
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
Mathematics 140 40% 12
Thermofluids 140 40% 10
Solid Mechanics 140 40% 10
Materials 70 40% 5
| Schemes for the award of Honours | 116
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
Mechatronics 70 40% 5
Design and Manufacture 70 40% 5
EXAMINATION TOTAL 630 40% 47
COURSEWORK: Comprising Mathematics 4, Thermofluids20, Solid Mechanics 8, Mechatronics 18, Materials 12,Design and Manufacture 50, Computing 30, ExperimentalReporting Skills 28.
170 40% 13
PART I TOTAL MAXIMUM MARKS 800 60
Note: A student who achieves the pass marks shown will qualify for progression to Part II. Themarks will be noted on the final degree transcript and used to determine the Dean’s List, but willnot be counted towards the final degree classification.
Note: If a candidate passes Thermofluids or Solid Mechanics on aggregate having failed eitherof the two constituent papers the Examining Board may, against criteria determined on a year byyear basis, record a Deferred Decision and require a Supplementary Qualifying Test.
Part II
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
Mathematics 220 40% 9
Thermofluids 330 40% 14
Solid Mechanics 330 40% 14
Mechatronics 110 40% 5
Design, Manufacture and Management 220 40% 7
EXAMINATION TOTAL 1210 40% 49
COURSEWORK: Comprising Mathematics 6, Thermofluids48, Solid Mechanics 62, Mechatronics 44, Computing 100,Design and Manufacture 100 Technical Presentation Skills30.
390 40% 11
PART II TOTAL MAXIMUM MARKS 1600 60
Note: A student who fails to achieve 50% on Part II Examination Total will be required to transferto BEng degree registration.
Part III
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
Machine System Dynamics 200
Thermodynamics and Energy 200}40% 12
Five other courses chosen within specified constraints each 200 — 30
EXAMINATION TOTAL (see note) 1400 40% 42
COURSEWORK
Engineering Ethics 30 —
| Schemes for the award of Honours | 117
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
Literature Research Project 170 — }18
Design, Make and Test Project 800 40%
COURSEWORK TOTAL 1000 40% 18
PART III TOTAL MAXIMUM MARKS 2400 — 60
Note: An MEng student who achieves a Part III examination total of less than 50% whilesatisfying all other criteria for progression to Part IV will be invited to graduate with the award of aBEng Degree.
Part IV
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
One Advanced Applications module 400 — 12
Five modules chosen within specified constraints each 200 — ≥32
EXAMINATION TOTAL 1400 40% 44
COURSEWORK
Individual Project 1000 40% 16
PART IV TOTAL MAXIMUM MARKS 2400 ≥60
Note: In order for an MEng degree to satisfy the academic requirements for CorporateMembership of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, marks for at least four Part IV courses(including the Advanced Applications course) must equal or exceed 40%.
MEng in Mechanical Engineering with Nuclear Engineering, 2015-16This programme differs from the basic MEng only in requiring students to take the five nuclear-themedmodules in ME3-4.
One mark contributes equally towards the degree in every year except the first, and the final degreeclass is determined by simple addition of marks awarded in Parts II to IV. Thus the four year totals, whenexpressed as percentages, contribute successively zero, 25%, 37.5% and 37.5% towards the total degreemark.
Part I
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
Mathematics 140 40% 12
Thermofluids 140 40% 10
Solid Mechanics 140 40% 10
Materials 70 40% 5
Mechatronics 70 40% 5
Design and Manufacture 70 40% 5
EXAMINATION TOTAL 630 40% 47
| Schemes for the award of Honours | 118
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
COURSEWORK: Comprising Mathematics 4, Thermofluids20, Solid Mechanics 8, Mechatronics 18, Materials 12,Design and Manufacture 50, Computing 30, ExperimentalReporting Skills 28.
170 40% 13
PART I TOTAL MAXIMUM MARKS 800 60
Note: A student who achieves the pass marks shown will qualify for progression to Part II. Themarks will be noted on the final degree transcript and used to determine the Dean’s List, but willnot be counted towards the final degree classification.
Note: If a candidate passes Thermofluids or Solid Mechanics on aggregate having failed eitherof the two constituent papers the Examining Board may, against criteria determined on a year byyear basis, record a Deferred Decision and require a Supplementary Qualifying Test.
Part II
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
Mathematics 220 40% 9
Thermofluids 330 40% 14
Solid Mechanics 330 40% 14
Mechatronics 110 40% 5
Design, Manufacture and Management 220 40% 7
EXAMINATION TOTAL 1210 40% 49
COURSEWORK: Comprising Mathematics 6, Thermofluids48, Solid Mechanics 62, Mechatronics 44, Computing 100,Design and Manufacture 100 Technical Presentation Skills30.
390 40% 11
PART II TOTAL MAXIMUM MARKS 1600 60
Note: A student who fails to achieve 50% on Part II Examination Total will be required to transferto BEng degree registration.
Part III
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
Machine System Dynamics 200
Thermodynamics and Energy 200}40% 12
Introduction to Nuclear Energy, Nuclear ChemicalEngineering and three other modules chosen withinspecified constraints
each 200 —}30
EXAMINATION TOTAL (see note) 1400 40% 42
COURSEWORK
Engineering Ethics 30 —
Literature Research Project 170 — }18
Design, Make and Test Project 800 40%
| Schemes for the award of Honours | 119
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
COURSEWORK TOTAL 1000 40% 18
PART III TOTAL MAXIMUM MARKS 2400 — 60
Note: An MEng student who achieves a Part III examination total of less than 50% whilesatisfying all other criteria for progression to Part IV will be invited to graduate with the award of aBEng Degree.
Part IV
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
One Advanced Applications module 400 — 12
Five modules chosen within specified constraints each 200 — ≥32
EXAMINATION TOTAL 1400 40% 44
COURSEWORK
Individual Project 1000 40% 16
PART IV TOTAL MAXIMUM MARKS 2400 ≥60
Note: The examination total for Parts III and IV must include marks for Introduction to NuclearEnergy, Nuclear Chemical Engineering, Nuclear Thermal Hydraulics, Nuclear Reactor Physicsand Nuclear Materials modules. If it does not but the candidate satisfies all other criteria, thestudent may graduate with an MEng Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Note: In order for an MEng degree to satisfy the academic requirements for CorporateMembership of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, marks for at least four Part IV courses(including the Advanced Applications course) must equal or exceed 40%.
BEng in Mechanical Engineering, 2015-16Marking scheme for exit with BEng.
One mark contributes equally towards the degree in every year except the first, and the final degree classis determined by simple addition of marks awarded in Parts II and III. Thus the three year totals, whenexpressed as percentages, contribute successively zero, 40% and 60% towards the total degree mark.
Part I
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
Mathematics 140 40% 12
Thermofluids 140 40% 10
Solid Mechanics 140 40% 10
Materials 70 40% 5
Mechatronics 70 40% 5
Design and Manufacture 70 40% 5
EXAMINATION TOTAL 630 40% 47
COURSEWORK: Comprising Mathematics 4, Thermofluids20, Solid Mechanics 8, Mechatronics 18, Materials 12,
170 40% 13
| Schemes for the award of Honours | 120
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
Design and Manufacture 50, Computing 30, ExperimentalReporting Skills 28.
PART I TOTAL MAXIMUM MARKS 800 60
Note: A student who achieves the pass marks shown will qualify for progression to Part II. Themarks will be noted on the final degree transcript and used to determine the Dean’s List, but willnot be counted towards the final degree classification.
Note: If a candidate passes Thermofluids or Solid Mechanics on aggregate having failed eitherof the two constituent papers the Examining Board may, against criteria determined on a year byyear basis, record a Deferred Decision and require a Supplementary Qualifying Test.
Part II
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
Mathematics 220 40% 9
Thermofluids 330 40% 14
Solid Mechanics 330 40% 14
Mechatronics 110 40% 5
Design, Manufacture and Management 220 40% 7
EXAMINATION TOTAL 1210 40% 49
COURSEWORK: Comprising Mathematics 6, Thermofluids48, Solid Mechanics 62, Mechatronics 44, Computing 100,Design and Manufacture 100 Technical Presentation Skills30.
390 40% 11
PART II TOTAL MAXIMUM MARKS 1600 60
Note: A student who fails to achieve 50% on Part II Examination Total will be required to transferto BEng degree registration.
Part III
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
Machine System Dynamics 200 — 6
Thermodynamics and Energy 200 — 6
Five other courses chosen within specified constraints each 200 — 30
EXAMINATION TOTAL (see note) 1400 40% 42
COURSEWORK
Engineering Ethics 30 —
Literature Research Project 170 — }18
Design, Make and Test Project 800 40%
COURSEWORK TOTAL 1000 18
PART III TOTAL MAXIMUM MARKS 2400 60
| Schemes for the award of Honours | 121
Examination Max. mark Pass mark ECTS
Note: A student who achieves an aggregate total of at least 40% on Machine System Dynamicsand Thermodynamics and Energy AND at least 55% on Part III Examination Total AND satisfiesall other criteria for progression to Part IV of the MEng degree in Mechanical Engineering may, atthe discretion of the Examiners, be invited to transfer registration.
| Professional development | 122
Chapter
13Professional development
Topics:
• What is a CharteredEngineer?
• Industrial placements• What is a Monitored
Professional DevelopmentScheme?
• Professional Skills• Credit transfer using ECTS• Finding employment• Further study• UROP placements
Many of our graduates never work as professional mechanicalengineers, but virtually all easily find employment because theprogramme is widely regarded as rigorous and exacting. Eachstudent can do much to still further enhance their degree by beginningprofessional development at an early stage — especially via industrialexperience.
| Professional development | 123
What is a Chartered Engineer?The title Chartered Engineer (CEng) is protected by UK civil law and is internationally one of the mostwidely recognised of engineering qualifications. In the UK, it is awarded by the Engineering Council.
The benchmark for CEng is UK-SPEC: the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence. UK-SPEC, published by the Engineering Council, tries to specify the essential attributes of a professionalengineer. It was developed, and is regularly updated, by panels representing UK professional engineeringinstitutions, employers and educators.
To become a Chartered Engineer, you will need:
1. The Educational Base: an MEng or equivalent degree from a recognised (accredited) degreeprogramme like ours; and
2. An extended period of Initial Professional Development (IPD): work-based training and/or experienceunder the guidance of a Mentor.
A professional institution like the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) acts as an agent for theEngineering Council: it both accredits degree programmes and, through a network of suitably qualifiedmentors, monitors the subsequent IPD process.
Related LinksEngineering Council websiteUK-SPEC with downloadEngineering Council information on CEng registrationInstitution of Mechanical Engineers websiteHow to apply for to be an Affiliate Member of IMechE
Industrial placementsIndustrial placements can contribute greatly to your training as an engineer. Even if you are not registeredon the Year in Industry programme, one or more relevant vacation placements can greatly enhance youreducation and employability as a mechanical engineer.
Placements are a useful way to try out different engineering disciplines to see which one is for you. Theyalso add extra colour to your CV — which will be useful when you are trying to stand out from the crowdwhen you graduate.
Applying for a placement has no guarantee of success and it is therefore sensible to apply for more thanone opportunity.
The Department recognises industrial placements, provided they are at least 10 weeks in length, throughthe IMechE Monitored Professional Development Scheme, so the time you spend on industrial placementcan be counted towards your Chartered Engineer status when you graduate. For example taking aplacement during the summer holidays will accrue 1/4 of a year experience towards CEng.
The Department also supports year-long student internships where you really get to know a company/industry in intimate detail. If you perform well on a placement it is also common for the company to makeconditional offers of either future placements or graduate positions. Very occasionally the company willalso sponsor your remaining study years with a bursary in conjunction with a graduate offer.
Related LinksThe year in industry on page 80
| Professional development | 124
What is a Monitored Professional Development Scheme?An MPDS provides a framework for recent engineering graduates to systematically record the InitialProfessional Development (IPD) needed for registration as a Chartered Engineer. Because we operate anMPDS ourselves, you can record extracurricular experience during vacations or a year in industry while stillan undergraduate.
Essentially, a Monitored Professional Development Scheme provides:
1. A network of mentors who are suitably qualified to provide guidance and assessment; and2. A management system for recording and documenting the IPD process.
As well as being accredited by IMechE to award degrees which provide the Educational Base for CEngregistration, this department is also accredited to provide an MPDS. If you find vacation work in anorganisation which already has an MPDS scheme, you should use it; if not, you should use ours. If you arewith a company that requires use of the online system (i.e. company managed MPDS), you may need topay registration fees; otherwise, the scheme is free.
Related LinksIMechE MPDS website
MPDS Training ObjectivesIMechE MPDS Training Objectives, which are adopted without modification for student placements underthe XPD scheme
Personal development
1. Self Management — the ability to control and direct own training, career and efforts
Level Assessment
4 Confident, able to negotiate own requirements and accept responsibility
3 Works towards personal goals using available resources, with minimum guidance
2 Accepts responsibility but requires prompting to work towards goals
1 Has difficulty identifying personal goals and appropriate resources
2. Communication skills — the ability to give a complete and concise account of a situation, either orallyor written
Level Assessment
4 Always clear and accurate, high standard of presentation; can communicate with people atall levels
3 Reasonable presentation and generally accurate in content; rarely has difficulty making apoint
2 Usually easy to understand; has difficulty presenting to people at all levels
1 Tendency to be inaccurate and has difficulty conveying information in any form
3. Comprehension — the ability to understand and interpret instructions
Level Assessment
4 Understands well at first attempt, readily grasps new ideas and concepts
3 Does not normally require additional information or explanation to complete a task
2 Sometimes requires additional information or explanation
| Professional development | 125
Level Assessment
1 Frequently needs additional information or explanation and takes time to grasp new ideasand concepts
4. Personal/social skills — the ability to work with others and gain respect
Level Assessment
4 Works well in a group or team and establishes good relationships with people at all levels
3 Works in a group or team, good relationships at own level
2 Attempts to mix and make a contribution
1 Prefers to work alone and has difficulty establishing good relationships
Technical development
1. Engineering practice — the ability to apply sound engineering practices
Level Assessment
4 Fully able to select materials, processes and components to customer specification
3 Able to advise on suitable materials, processes and components
2 Able to select and specify from organisation’s own capabilities of manufacture
1 Has difficulty selecting suitable materials, processes and components
2. Engineering principles — the ability to apply sound engineering principles and technical judgement
Level Assessment
4 Fully able to apply engineering principles to design, development and research activities
3 Able to apply established procedures
2 Needs some guidance on the application of engineering principles
1 Needs frequent guidance on the application of suitable engineering principles
3. Problem solving — the ability to originate new and improved uses of people and resources
Level Assessment
4 Excellent problem solver; can propose innovative solutions
3 Good understanding and useful innovator
2 Puts forward some ideas but has difficulty with decisions
1 Usually able to follow set procedures but shows little capability at proposing new solutions
4. Technical achievement — the ability to translate knowledge and skills into achieving results
Level Assessment
4 Quickly develops skills and achieves excellent results without prompting
3 Achieves well with little supervision
2 Average ability in achieving results but hesitant with little initiative
1 Usually needs supervision and assistance to achieve tasks
Business development
1. Commercial and financial implications — the ability to see engineering in a business environment
| Professional development | 126
Level Assessment
4 Fully aware of the commercial and financial implications of the task in hand
3 Generally aware of implications but sometimes needs clarification on particular points
2 Only aware of the business environment when seconded to a commercial department
1 Limited awareness of any commercial / financial ramifications
2. Organisation skills — the ability to structure circumstances to a given objective
Level Assessment
4 Fully aware of the importance of planning and scheduling dependent on changingcircumstances and tasks
3 Usually organises well but sometimes needs guidance on some areas of planning
2 Average ability but needs reminders on critical factors
1 Muddled approach and unable to set priorities
Registering for MPDSTo register for MPDS you must complete an IMechE form provided either by the provider of your industrialplacement, or by the Department.
Before completing the MPDS Registration Form, you will need:
• Affiliate membership of the IMechE — this is free for UG students• A mentor who is registered as a CEng or IEng. By default, your mentor will be your personal tutor, but if
your personal tutor is not a CEng then the Industrial Liaison Co‐ordinator will stand in.
1. Download the form from Blackboard.
2. You are applying as an ‘Undergraduate student — on an accredited university scheme’.
3. Forward the registration form to the UG Office.
Related LinksWhat is a Monitored Professional Development Scheme? on page 124How to register for IMechE MPDS Tools
Recording Monitored Professional DevelopmentHaving registered on MPDS, you must submit a report for each quarter during which you wish to recordprofessional development.
If your industrial placement provider has a company managed MPDS and requires you to register on itsonline system, you should work towards the UK‐SPEC competence framework.
For our departmental MPDS you should work towards Training Objectives; you will progress to the UK‐SPEC competence framework after graduation.
1. At the beginning of the quarter define your objectives, making some reference to the training objectivesor competence framework
2. At the conclusion of each placement, complete a paper Quarterly Report and a paper AssessmentReport on the standard templates
3. Add each MPDS report to a private portfolio for use after you graduate.
If you are on a company managed MPDS, you do not need to get anything signed off at Imperial.
If you are on our own MPDS, you should get your quarterly reports signed off by your line manager at yourwork placement AND your MPDS mentor.
| Professional development | 127
Important: On graduation, make sure that your MPDS mentor has signed all of your quarterly andassessment reports, and send a copy of each to IMechE. You will need show the originals to yournew mentor when you take up employment.
After graduation you can continue with MPDS but you will need to re‐register on the MPDS as a graduate,pay registration fees and start using the online system. Do this within two months of starting work, or someof the time spent with that company may not be counted.
It is possible to continue MPDS at an organisation that does not have an accredited scheme, provided youinitially completed at least 9 months of MPDS on an accredited scheme.
Related LinksMPDS Training Objectives on page 124IMechE My MPDS Tools
Professional SkillsIn addition to its own core technical knowledge and skills, every profession shares a common set of‘transferable’ skills ranging from communication and teamwork to professional ethics. These are taught in athread which runs throughout the core programme and has links to many teaching and learning activities.
Technical writing skills
ME1 Experimental Reporting Skills teaches the writing of a standard-pattern technical report —along with the recognition and treatment of experimental errors and uncertainty — through a lab-basedcase study involving risk and safety issues.
Oral presentation skills
ME2 Technical Presentation Skills teaches the basics of a Powerpoint-type presentation throughindividual preparation and delivery of a 10-minute talk on a theme chosen from a closed list.
Teamwork skills
You will begin to exercise teamwork skills with a ‘warm-up’ exercise before the ME1 programmeeven begins and will further exercise them during ME1 and ME2 Design and Manufacture. Theunderlying theory of group dynamics and organisations is treated in ME2 Management and Businessfor Engineers; students then tackle the main Design Make and Test Project in ME3.
Engineering Ethics
After ME1 Experimental Reporting Skills has introduced the ethical dimension of engineeringthrough that of Scientific Ethics. You will then be faced in the ME3 DMT module with a half-daybusiness game, delivered by Shell International, presenting corporate social responsibility issues in theextraction of crude oil in a fictional foreign state.
Credit transfer using ECTSECTS units are ‘currency’ in which UK students can transfer credit to another HE institution within theEuropean Higher Education Area (HEA) of 46 other countries.
By signing the 1999 Bologna agreement, the European HEA countries agreed to harmonise their verydifferent higher education systems and to recognise each other’s degrees. A student should, for example,be able to
1. Carry credits from modules of a degree programme in one country to a suitable degree programme inanother; and/or
2. Take a BEng, an MSc and a PhD in two or three different countries.
To make (1) possible, HEA countries use the ECTS (European Credit Transfer System). One ECTS unit isequivalent to about 25 hours of assessed study.
To make (2) possible, HEA countries must award comparable degrees in the following order:
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1. A first-cycle (Bachelor’s or ‘Higher’, H) degree, requiring at least 180 ECTS;2. A second-cycle (Master’s, M) degree, requiring at least 90 ECTS;3. A third-cycle Doctoral degree.
Related LinksDownload ECTS Users’ Guide (pdf)
The integrated masters ‘credit gap’The UK Integrated Master’s (MEng) degree is regarded in some countries as being 30 ECTS short of aMasters degree.
A 30-week UK academic year can count as no more than 60 ECTS credits, whereas a full-year MScdegree is equivalent to 90 ECTS.
The MEng or MSci Integrated Master’s (or Undergraduate Master’s) degree is a UK invention. Withoutpausing to be awarded a Bachelor’s degree an MEng student continues directly into the fourth 30-weekyear and, on completing it successfully, is awarded a Master’s degree.
Integrated Master’s degrees are recognised by UK universities and professional institutions, e.g. IMechE,as the norm. They are widely respected and — without the disruptions of changing course after 3 years —they are highly efficient. The concept of specifying modules and programmes by learning outcomes as wedo, rather than by hours of study as ECTS does, is also internationally accepted.
However: 4 times 60 is 30 ECTS less than 180 plus 90. Some European HEA countries and universitiestherefore do not accept MEng (or MSci) degrees as ‘real’ 2nd cycle degrees. They may, for example,require completion of an additional one-year Master’s degree before accepting an MEng graduate for aPhD programme.
What is the Extracurricular Professional Development (XPD) scheme?The Extracurricular Professional Development scheme, which is voluntary and which you can join at anystage in the programme, offers a solution to the 30-ECTS Integrated Master’s credit gap — and othersubstantial benefits. Under the XPD scheme you can simultaneously accrue both Initial ProfessionalDevelopment time and additional ECTS credits.
Engineering is such a broad and socially-engaged career that activities which students choose to dooutside College time, e.g. learning a language or studying a subject unrelated to engineering, cancontribute directly to professional development. The College will therefore recognise some such activitiesby allocating them ECTS and noting them on the degree transcript. In this way a student can accrue theadditional 30 ECTS for a Bologna-compatible MEng degree. The activities are in effect assessed, but donot contribute towards the degree classification.
Tip: Because this Department already has an MPDS scheme (on which this scheme is based), theIMechE has agreed that the time spent on activities for which the College will award ECTS will alsobe counted towards Initial Professional Development: the limit of 30 ECTS will be recognised asequivalent to at least six months.
Registering for the XPD schemeFor the time being at least, you must complete two separate forms, containing the same information, tocount the same activity both for ECTS — which Registry will annotate on the degree certificate — and forInitial Professional Development which IMechE will record to count towards CEng status.
The XPD scheme is voluntary, and you may join it or leave it at any stage. Before deciding to register, youmay want to discuss with your tutor whether it is right for your circumstances. For example:
• Students intending to study for a higher degree in Europe are likely to find the additional ECTSparticularly important.
• Some international students, on the other hand, do not wish to obtain Chartered Engineer status.
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Tip: No visa issues arise from international students accepting summer placements whileregistered at Imperial.
Having decided to register:
1. Complete the College Personal Development Planning course, iPlan. PDP should get you into thehabit of thinking about your career development long before you actually begin a career. The habits andpractices it encourages will seem strange at first but they are found, in one form or another, throughoutpresent-day working life. They will become even more important in the future.
2. Register with the IMechE Career Development (MPDS) scheme.
3. Plan your strategy. The scheme relies on your initiative, and in the first year or so of your course youwill have plenty to think about. Nevertheless, you can both plan your own development and recogniseappropriate opportunities when they arise.
You can now proceed to select, plan and arrange the activities which will progress your PersonalDevelopment Plan and earn you ECTS credits.
Related LinksWhat is a Monitored Professional Development Scheme? on page 124
Activities eligible for ECTS creditOnly specific extracurricular activities for annotation on the degree transcript. In order for an activity to beassessed as worthy of ECTS credits, it must have clearly defined objectives and criteria for assessment —which the student must satisfy.
The activities currently eligible for XPD are:
College extracurricular courses
These must be:
• Complete, assessed College courses offered by the Centre for Co-Curricular Studies, and• Undertaken at lunchtime.
ECTS: 6 credits per course
For completed and assessed extracurricular courses taken in evenings, the credit awarded is:
ECTS: 2 credits per course.
Industrial internships and placements
These must be:
• Directly related to engineering or its industrial or business context;• Sufficiently demanding in nature to exercise a range of interpersonal and intellectual skills;• Between 6 and 12 full-time (37h) weeks, or their equivalent part-time, in duration; and• External to the College.
ECTS: 1.5 credits per full working week.
UROP or other research placements
These must be:
• Sufficiently demanding in nature to exercise a range of analytical and intellectual skills;• Between 6 and 12 full-time weeks in duration; and• Undertaken during vacations at the end of the second and third years of study.
ECTS: 1.5 credits per full working week, 15 maximum on a single project.
Important: The College initially considered student-led activities, e.g. E.quinox, ineligible forECTS accrual; this decision is currently under review.
Related LinksCentre for Languages, Culture and Communication website
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Business School UG courses websiteImperial UROP websitePlacements Abroad Handbook (pdf)
Completing an XPD Activity PlanArranging any extracurricular activity is, by definition, your own choice and responsibility. However, toensure that it is eligible for ECTS, learning outcomes must be defined and assessed. Under the XPDscheme these are provided by Training Objectives, as in an MPDS report.
Before you undertake the activity, you must ensure that:
1. It will progress your Personal Development Plan2. It is eligible under the XPD scheme.
Important: For UROP or industrial placements you must choose a project with the potential forprogress towards learning outcomes in which you have not already achieved a pass.
For modules taught within the College and taken by students under the XPD scheme as an extracurricularactivities, learning outcomes are defined in the usual academic terms and assessed by the usual methods.
For industrial placements, IMechE has already identified an equivalent set of attributes and skills astraining objectives and these are assessed using the MPDS Assessment Report — Student Placementdocument. These attributes and skills are referenced to UK-SPEC but relatively low expectations are setbecause you are unlikely to see much progression against UK-SPEC in your first year of development.
Since the XPD scheme covers only this first year, it uses the MPDS Training Objectives. Each is assessedon a 1-4 scale. As a rule, IMechE regards it as “unlikely that individuals in year 1 of development would bescoring at level 3”. Thus, in effect, 2 is a pass and 1 a fail with 3 corresponding to A* grade.
For each extracurricular placement you must identify fresh Training Objectives, in advance, as intendedlearning outcomes.
1. Download and complete an XPD Activity Plan form. Almost all of the information you write here willalso be needed for IMechE documentation.
2. Submit the plan to your Personal Tutor for signature, and arrange a time to discuss and/or collect it.
3. Download the IMechE MPDS Assessment Report — Student Placement and review the TrainingObjectives.
4. Identify your designated placement supervisor (who will become your Delegate Mentor) and agree abrief definition for the planned task.
5. Select at least the specified number of Training Objectives, avoiding those on which you achieved aLevel 2 assessment during any previous placement.
a) For a 6-8 week placement, choose three training objectives.b) For an 9-12 week placement, choose four training objectives.
6. Enter the chosen Training Objectives on your XPD Activity Plan.
7. Submit a COPY of the Plan form, with Sections 1-3 completed, to the Undergraduate Office.
Related LinksDownload XPD Activity Plan formImperial UROP websiteMPDS Training Objectives on page 124IMechE MPDS Assessment Report form
UROPs: completing Registry Form BTo register a UROP placement under XPD, you should complete Form B and append it to the Activity Planin order to set up the bursary.
The advantage of Form B is that it includes information for the UROP office to set up bursary payments.
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Note: The ‘Departmental Teaching Committee’ referred to on Form B is our Courses Committee.
1. For Current Degree Programme enter ‘MEng’.
2. If the placement is full-time, Expected number of ECTS credits will be 1.5 times the number of weeks.
3. For Expected Learning Outcomes, enter ‘See XPD Activity Plan’.
4. Leave Section C blank.
5. Add the descriptive Appendix (250 words will usually suffice).
6. Return Form B with the XPD Activity Plan to the UG Office.
The UG Office will now process this form through Registry to set up your UROP placement and (if relevant)your Bursary.
Related LinksDownload UROP Form B (docx)Download UROP Form B (pdf)
Reporting your XPD activitiesYou should complete a short report on each activity, in a standard form compatible with your developmentplan.
The reporting required for an XPD activity depends on its nature and the ECTS you have accumulated.
1. Complete any assignments necessary for assessment of the activity. For an extracurricular Collegecourse the Course Leader will manage this. For a research (e.g. UROP) or industrial placementyou must write a report (using the style defined, with examples, by the IMechE MPDS scheme) todemonstrate to your supervisor that the learning outcomes you cited at the outset have been achieved,and this should be signed by your industrial supervisor (i.e. Line Manager or section leader) and by yourPersonal Tutor.
2. If you have passed the assessment you must complete a quarterly report for the IMechE, with a copy tothe UG Office (who will copy it to your Personal Tutor). If you have completed a research or industrialplacement, simply re-use your assessment report. This report must be countersigned by the MPDSScheme Administrator.
If you have also passed the threshold of 30 ECTS, you have completed the XPD scheme and satisfiedCollege requirements for a Bologna-compatible degree. The details will be forwarded to Registry fortransfer to your academic record.
Finding employmentFor many students, ME4 is dominated by the search for employment. To supplement the advice givenby the Careers Centre, members of our departmental Industrial Academic Board have offered advicespecifically oriented towards the engineering and related industries.
The Industrial Academic Board (IAB), which meets twice a year, brings together representatives of thedepartment with representatives from a few of the companies which employ our graduates. Its aim is toensure that graduates are well prepared for the needs of industry, while keeping employers abreast ofdevelopments in our teaching programmes.
Technical interviewsSome basic do’s and don’ts for success in technical interviews for employment in engineering.
Preparation: before you attend
• Make sure you understand the role you are applying for: plan for questions on technical and peopleaspects; challenges that the employer is facing; health, safety, environment and legislation.
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• Ask yourself what you have to offer: what are your skills/competencies? How is your backgroundrelevant to the role?
• Ask before the interview (usually your contact would be from the HR dept, but not always) if there is aparticular structure to it, or aspects that will be covered; this may help to focus your mind.
• Review background information on the financial status of the company applied to (all company accountsare public domain).
• Read up on the relevant industry: what are the challenges? Does your prospective employer have anykey suppliers and customers? What are their strengths?
• Ensure you are up to date with at least public-domain knowledge of the particular company interviewingyou. It should be obvious by your questioning that you have visited their website and are up to date withlatest public announcements. Perhaps pick up on something of interest from the website and ask thema question on it.
• Make sure you understand project costing and show an awareness of the need to keep projects withinbudgets. At least be able to describe how you would arrive at a project cost — what would you includeand exclude.
• Check any work permit or visa requirements which depend upon nationality, and understand what (ifany) help an employer might give. This information is usually freely available on company recruitmentwebsites or in application packs.
• Prepare some questions to ask on, for example, terms and conditions, mobility, progression, trainingprovided, whether the company support development to CEng and, if so, how…
• Think about what development needs you have (everyone has them — at every stage of their careers).• Recognise the need to demonstrate reasonable technical depth and breadth at the interview: don’t
forget the fundamentals.• Remember: the interview is two-way, and they are actually being interviewed by you as well. Listen to
what they are saying critically and think about whether you would be comfortable working for them.
At the interview
• Arrive on time: 10 minutes early is a good guide. If you expect to be held up call your contact as soonas possible.
• Dress appropriately.• Turn off your mobile, or set it to silent.• Be positive and enthusiastic: you need to convey that you actually want the job.• Remember body language and posture; sit upright and look alert. Make good eye contact with the
interviewers. Try to avoid using poor language, slang or pause-words (“like” etc. …) during yourdiscussion.
• Be prepared to talk about a University project — both its technical aspects and the softer aspectssuch as team working. This approach can be used to put the candidate at ease and to get themtalking about something they feel comfortable with. What was the project about? What hurdles did youovercome? Did it work? What were the findings/benefits? Be prepared to communicate this for, say, 5minutes.
• Formulate a clear idea about how you would like your career to develop — hopefully it will matchthe company’s. Consider technical and managerial routes for career progression but also careerenrichment opportunities. Be realistic about your ambitions: we can’t all be — or wouldn’t want to be —the CEO.
• Don’t worry about being nervous. Having some nerves is probably good and is perfectly natural — theinterviewers will understand.
• Ask for clarification if you don’t understand a question.• Ask intelligent questions about the job, company, training or industry.• Be yourself. They want to employ you, not somebody else. If you don’t get the role applied for they may
consider that you are better suited to other roles (which may not be widely advertised).• Discussions about salary and benefits usually occur at the end. Only initiate a discussion if the
interviewer omits to do so.• DON’T regurgitate details from the company website during the interview.
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• DON’T expect to derive complex equations.• Don’t worry if you can’t answer a question: it’s best to be honest and respond that you don’t know,
or are not sure. But do follow up with a question or two: this shows interest and will improve yourunderstanding, if nothing else.
• DON’T be negative about past internships or industrial experiences; recognise positive points and whatyou have gained from the experience.
• DON’T rely on your CV to do the selling for you. No matter how good your grades, scores andqualifications are, you will need to sell yourself to the interviewers.
Assessment centresInformation about assessment centres and tips on doing well at them.
Assessment centres may be preceded by a telephone interview. If so, don’t just phone — see elsewherefor advice, and prepare.
Preparation: before you attend
Find as much as you can about the assessment centre in advance. The company should provide somebriefing information; if they don’t or you feel that you need further information, then just contact them andask. Each company’s format will differ and the following is provided for general guidance.
• Make sure you understand the challenges faced by the employer and those relevant in their industry. There should be plenty of information readily available on the internet — don’t just repeat details fromthe company website.
• Prepare to talk about some of the softer skills that are needed in an employee — if possible, with someexamples based on your experiences (working in a team, working with difficult people, how to meetdeadlines etc.).
• Prepare to discuss Health and Safety: What is your approach? What matters to the employer? Do youhave any examples?
Assessment centres are usually facilitated by the company HR department, with staff from the companyattending to act as observers. At the end of the assessment centre the company observers meet toprovide an assessment of the candidates and to make recommendations. The observers will have beentrained prior to the event and will be working to a well defined set of assessment criteria.
The event itself will typically involve some or all of the following elements:
• Interview;• Team event;• Numerical and verbal reasoning tests, psychometrics etc.;• Presentation.
Interview
Scope/guidance should be provided before joining the assessment centre: see elsewhere for advice.
Team event
One scenario could be that teams of four are formed and the ‘team event’ spans the day. This is anattempt to replicate a working day where the flow of work will be interrupted. Expect a brief to be provided:for example it may include some data to be assessed along with other disparate pieces of information, witha deadline to discuss at a meeting at some point later in the day. Expect to be provided with some late-breaking news that may have some impact on your conclusions. Some time is usually provided for yourteam to have discussions during the day, you may then have to discuss your finding in a meeting, whilstbeing observed. The purpose of the observers is to try to obtain an understanding of your behaviour andinteraction within a group.
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• Raise points and contribute, even if it is to add strength to a point raised by another member of theteam.
• Allow others to speak.• If someone is reticent to speak then try to bring them into the conversation by asking for their views.• Be prepared to summarise the group’s understanding at some stage, and seek agreement.• If somebody else summarises for the group then be prepared to ask questions to test the findings• DON’T be afraid to say anything.• DON’T feel you have to be the loudest or most talkative to be noticed.
Numerical and verbal reasoning tests, psychometrics
Don’t worry about the numerical and verbal reasoning tests. Students often do much better at these thanstaff in post.
Presentation
This provides you with an opportunity to display your ability to interpret information in a short period of time,and to present some concise conclusions. You will be provided with time to review data and prepare a 10min presentation, usually using PowerPoint. Note; some companies will require a longer presentation, upto 20 minutes and to senior managers followed by technical and non-technical questions.
• Work to your brief (read it carefully).• Introduce yourself, your topic, time allocation etc. — and stick to your time.• Specify whether you would prefer to be questioned during the presentation, or after it.• Present concise, clear slides.• Ensure that the presentation starts with a clear statement of what you are providing in your
presentation, i.e. a short summary of the question or issue under discussion.• State a clear conclusion.• Be prepared to be challenged on your conclusions — so think about the alternative view.• Aim on providing a professional presentation even though time may well be very limited.• DON’T Look at slides or the computer too much during the presentation: talk to the audience and make
good eye contact.• DON’T Be defensive when you answer .• DON’T Be too soft-spoken: a more forceful voice projects confidence• DON’T Answer questions with a simple “yes” or “no”. Explain whenever possible. Reviewers check not
only how much you understand or know but also how you respond to a question.• DON’T let your mobile phone sound during the presentation — switch it off or set it to silent.
There is normally a wash-up session at the end, to which candidates are not invited. Observers try toidentify facts about each candidate during the day, usually facilitated by HR. It’s not foolproof but doesprovide a means of assessing candidates on the day.
Further studyMany students find that the sense of individual achievement and discovery generated by a successfulME4 Individual Project gets them hooked on research. Since you are already here and your track recordis known it will certainly be easier to find a project which suits you — even if it is offered in a differentdepartment.
Probably the best place to start looking for a PhD project will be with your ME4 (or perhaps ME3) projectsupervisor. Your personal tutor, and PhD students with which you will have made contact through theirwork as GTAs, are other good sources of inside information: ask around. Projects are posted publicly onBlackboard, the Departmental web pages and on a several open web sites.
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Imperial runs a Postgraduate Open Day each December. Each department has an information standwith staff who can advise you on available research opportunities and Masters programmes. Designedprimarily for visitors from outside the College who plan to study here, this event can also be a useful sourceof information if you are thinking of studying in another department or even another university.
UROP placementsThe Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme matches students with ‘research internships’,either within or outside Imperial. A UROP placement offers work experience within a research environment;the work is usually paid; some bursaries are available; and ECTS credits can be earned via the XPDscheme.
The UROP scheme at Imperial is coordinated within Registry, and is described in detail on the College webpage. However, perhaps the best way to initiate a placement within Imperial will be to contact a research-active staff member whose work interests you. If you do agree a placement by this informal route it shouldstill be set up formally, otherwise you will be unable to earn ECTS credits.
Most UROP placements are paid, but not all supervisors have sufficient research funding available. Someresearch sponsors, even relatively generous ones, put tight restrictions on the way in which funds can bespent. Under these conditions supervisors may be able to offer exciting projects bringing close interactionwith potential employers, but unable to support bursaries for them.
Related LinksCollege web page on the UROP scheme
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Chapter
14Undergraduate degree programme overview
Topics:
• The programme year by year• Programme modules mapped
by year and TSG• Studying abroad
The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers 3 undergraduatedegrees in Mechanical Engineering.
The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers 3 undergraduatedegrees in Mechanical Engineering. They are:
1. BEng in Mechanical Engineering2. MEng in Mechanical Engineering3. MEng in Mechanical Engineering with Nuclear Engineering
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The programme year by yearAs you progress through the 4-5 years of our degree programmes, there are managed transitions from thelearning of fundamental skills to the exercise of judgement in individual project work, and from a prescribedsyllabus to a choice of specialisations.
A schematic overview of the academic curriculum is given in Programme modules mapped by year andTSG on page 138.
Every teaching and learning activity is part of a module, which is taught in a specific year of the course(ME1 to ME4, the horizontal ‘time axis’ on the map) and is managed within a specific Teaching SubjectGroup (arrayed on the vertical axis). Each module is self-contained and separately assessed although, ofcourse, its subject matter will be linked to that of other modules.
Note: In general use the term ‘course’ denotes sometimes an entire degree programme andsometimes an individual, examined course of study — i.e. what we refer to here as a module.
The Programme Specification provides a rather dry definition of the entire programme in standard form, asrequired by the government standards body which oversees higher education.
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Studying abroadWe have exchange arrangements with some of the best technological universities in France, Germany, theNetherlands, Switzerland, Australia and the USA. If you are on the Mechanical Engineering with a Year
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Abroad programme, and your academic record and (if necessary) foreign language skills are good enough,you can spend your fourth year abroad.
Many studies have shown that ‘travel broadens the mind’ and deepens academic abilities not only inyour chosen subject but also in linguistic and inter-cultural skills, self-reliance and self-awareness. Manyemployers are well aware of the benefits and value such a period abroad highly, enhancing employabilityand job prospects.
The Exchange Coordinator gives an open introductory lecture outlining the scheme.
You must bear in mind that to reach the required language level for certain placements, you will needto start a language course in year 1. Generally, the way you study and the rate you study at will need tomatch your individual case. For example, if you have a good A or AS level language and your sponsoringcompany is arranging for you to work in the relevant country during a long vacation, formal languageclasses here during term may not be necessary at all. However, if you have only GCSE level Frenchor German you would be well advised to take one of the intensive language classes offered by theHumanities Department during term, and to work/travel abroad in the summer vacation(s).
Caution: It is important to be aware from the outset that places on exchange schemes are verylimited, competition is fierce and academic selection criteria are exacting. Many students who areregistered on the programme cannot ultimately be offered a place.
Studying abroad in this way is no soft option but it is a very rewarding experience, as those students whohave done it confirm.
| Index | 140
Index
3D printing 40
A
AachenRWTH exchange 110
absence 62absencelate arrival
teaching staff 48accommodation 12, 27applied maths 15assessment
feedback on 55ATM 38attendance 16, 68, 77, 85, 98awards 56, 56, 57, 57, 58, 73, 82, 95, 107
B
banking 38BEng degree 93Blackboard 10, 10, 33, 34boilersuit 38boiler suit 8, 37breakout space 37
C
CaliforniaUniversity exchange 110
careers 14cash machine 38chartered engineer 123cheating 17, 54clinic tutorials 46, 70, 79CNC router 40co-curricular studies 48co-curricular study 9, 71, 80Commemoration Day 95, 107committee
student-staff 48computer
purchase of 11, 35computers 11, 35consumables
computer 11, 35COSHH 40coursework 53, 60, 71, 81credit transfer 127
D
deadline 53Dean’s list 56, 65, 73, 83, 96, 108deferred decision 115degree class
quotas for 94, 106
DelftTU exchange 110
Disability Advisory Service 30Disability Liaison Officer 13, 29, 30Disabled Students’ Allowance 30DMT project 85dss 90
E
ects 72, 82ECTS
activities eligible for 129elective
selecting 87, 87, 100electives
advanced applications 100choosing 86choosing in ME4 99H-level design and management 89H-level technical 88IDX 101me3
registration 89me4
registration 99M-level technical 101nuclear 92registering choices 90types of 86
emailredirection of 10, 34
employmentpart-time, during studies 16
energy systems 26, 85English classes 15, 31etching 40exam
open-book 62examination
combined subjects 60failure 115resit 115
examination pass 115Examiners Meeting 94, 106Examiners’ meeting 60exams
failure rate 61setting of 61
exam stress 28, 51, 61exchange
Erasmus 110institutional 110
external examiners 94, 106
| Index | 141
F
feedbackby students 49on examinations 63to students 55
financial support 12, 27fourth year 27, 98further study 106, 134
G
Goods Inward, See Storesgraduation 94, 95, 106, 107
H
handouts 47, 86health 8, 28health and safety
IDEAs Lab 40IDEAS Lab 40
Horizons 87, 87, 100humanities courses 48
I
ICT 11, 35, 37ID card 6IDEAs lab
facilities 40IDEAs Lab
Coordinator 40Director 40project development area 40projects room 40workshop 40Workshop Manager 40
IDX 87, 87, 100illness 62IMechE 18, 123Imperial Horizons 9, 71, 80, 89Imperial Racing, See Imperial Racing GreenImperial Racing Green 41individual project 98induction 7initial professional development 123Institution of Mechanical Engineers, See IMechEintegrated masters degree 128intellectual property 91, 102international students 12, 27internet 11, 35, 37internship 123IRG 41
L
LabMechatronics 42
lab coat 7, 36, 38lab exercises 46, 47, 47
labs 45language classes 70, 79language courses 48laser cutting 40lectures
attendance at 16letters 10, 34librarian
departmental 34library 12, 34lockers 8, 37Lyon
Ecole Centrale exchange 110
M
machine systems 26, 85mail 10, 34marking scheme 115, 117, 119marks
coursework 71, 81Materials Testing Lab 44ME3
key dates 85ME4
key dates 98mechanics 15Mechtronics Lab 42Melbourne
University exchange 110mentor 126mitigating circumstances
accounting for 94, 106moderation
of project marks 55MPDS
registering for 126
N
NDA 91, 102non-disclosure agreements, See NDAnotice boards 10, 34NSS 49nuclear electives 92nuclear engineering 87, 87, 100
O
open-book exams 62
P
Panopto 47, 47Paris
Ecole Centrale exchange 110parking
bicycle 12, 38car 12, 38
part-time work 16password 10, 33
| Index | 142
past papers 60personal tutor
duties 25personal tutorials 68, 77PhD
study for 106, 134photocopying 36Pink Room 40Pit Garage 41placement
in industry 123research 135
plagiarism 17, 53, 54printing
from a College computer 11, 35prizes 56, 56, 57, 57, 58, 73, 82, 95, 107professional development 14, 124, 128professional skills 51, 127progress tests 47, 69, 78Project Area
Mechatronics 42protective clothing 7, 36public transport 12, 38
R
Racing Green, See Imperial Racing Greenrecording
of lectures 47refectories 38reference 25references 10report
MPDS 126representative
student 48re-sitting a year 65results
examination 64revision 60risk assessment 40
S
safety 7, 7, 36safety glasses 7, 36, 38safety shoes 8, 37scheme for award of honours 115, 117, 119security 8Senior Tutor 24SES 49Singapore
NUS exchange 110skills
professional 51, 127software 11, 35SOLE 49solid mechanics 60space
quiet study 37SQT 64, 115staff student committee 48, 48
storesworkshop 39
Stores 42stress
exams 28, 51, 61student experience 49students records 12, 27study
abroad 50, 138quiet space for 37
study plan 113subjects
aggregated 60supplementary qualifying test, See SQTsurveys 49swipe card 8
T
teaching assistantundergraduate 91
teaching workshop 39teamwork 51, 127technical communication skills 16test
supplementary qualifying 64textbooks 70, 79theft 8thermofluids 60time management 69, 77toolkits, for student loan 40transcript
for year abroad 113transfer
BEng to MEng 94MEng to BEng 93
tuition fees 12, 27tutor
personal 10, 25tutorial 47, 91tutorials
attendance at 16clinic 70, 79personal 68, 77
U
UG office 24UK-SPEC 123undergraduate teaching assistant 91union 17unit of assessment 72, 82UROP
registration under XPD 130UTA
payment for tutoring 92
V
vacation work 18vacuum forming 40
| Index | 143
videoof lectures 47
W
weighting of years 115, 117, 119welfare 8, 28workload 69, 77workshop
teaching 39Workshop Apprentice 40workshops 38
X
XPDactivity plan 130registering for 128reporting activities 131
XPDS 135
Y
year abroadapplication 111application for exchange outside Europe 112application for exchange within Europe 112
year in industry 80year organiser
fourth year 27, 98year reps 48
Z
ZurichETH exchange 110